AS 


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REMKISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 


BY 

DEMING    JARVES, 


SECOND    EDITION,    ENLAKOED. 


NEW  YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  IIURD  AND  HOUGHTON, 

401  Broadway,  cok.  Walker  Street. 

1865. 


J  ^ 


\rIoS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865,  by 

Demino  Jarves, 

in  the  Clerk's  OESce  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


RIVERSIDK,    CAM  bridge: 
PRINTED   BY   n.    0.    UOUOHTOS   AND    COMPANT. 


1  H£:  GETTY  CEN : 
LIBRARY 


PREFACE. 


The  articles  upon  the  history  and  prog- 
ress of  Glass  Manufacture  herein  presented 
to  the  public  were  originally  published  in 
the  columns  of  a  village  newspaper. 

They  are  the  result  of  investigation  upon 
these  topics  made  in  the  few  leisure  mo- 
ments gained  from  the  engrossing  cares  of 
business,  and  consequently  make  no  pre- 
tension to  anything  of  literary  character  or 
execution. 

The  object  of  the  writer  has  been  to 
gather,  in  a  condensed  form,  whatever  of 
interesting  information  could  be  gained  from 
authentic  sources,  in  regard  to  a  branch  of 
manufacture  which  has  attained  a  position 
among  the  useful  and  elegant  arts  scarcely 
rivalled  by  any  other  of  those  which  mark 
and  distinguish  the  progressive  character  of 
our  country. 


IV  PREFACE. 

It  is  believed  that  they  present,  in  a  con- 
densed and  convenient  form,  much  valuable 
information,  useful  alike  for  reference  and 
instruction.  Aside  from  historical  or  me- 
chanical facts,  there  is  much  of  romantic 
interest  attaching  to  the  progress  of  this 
department  of  art.  The  partiality  of  friends 
interested  in  the  topics  herein  presented, 
rather  than  his  own  opinion  of  their  value, 
has  induced  the  writer  to  present  the  arti- 
cles in  a  more  permanent  form. 

Boston,  March  17,  1854. 


The  above  was  the  Preface  to  a  small 
pamphlet  in  8vo.  of  the  "  Reminiscences  of 
Glass-making,"  printed  for  private  circulation 
in  1854,  and  now  enlarged  into  a  more  per- 
manent form,  and  brought  down  to  the  pres- 
ent year,  in  order  to  meet  the  demand  for 
information  which  has  unexpectedly  sprung 
up  from  those  interested  in  the  manufacture 
of  Glass  in  America. 

Boston,  January,  18C5. 


ui:mimsc'1-:xci:s  of  (iLAss-MAiviN(.;. 


It  may  bo  safely  asserted  tliat  no  department 
of  art  lias,  from  its  earliest  period,  attracted  so 
much  attention  and  investigation,  none  involved 
so  extensive  a  range  of  in(juiry,  or  been  produc- 
tive of  more  ingenious,  interesting,  and  beautiful 
results,  than  the  manufacture  of  glass. 

The  question  of  the  origin  of  glass  goes  back 
to  the  remotest  antiipiity.  and  is  involved  in  almost 
entire  obscurity.  All  that  modern  writers  on  the 
subject  are  enabled  to  do,  is  to  glean  hints  and 
indistinct  statements  in  reference  to  the  sidjject, 
from  the  very  brief  and  unsatisfactory  accounts 
of  the  ancients.  These,  however,  throw  but  a 
feeble  light  upon  the  j)recise  point  of  the  origin 
of  the  manufacture;  and  little  is  proNcd  beyond 
the  fact  of  its  great  antiquity. 

That  the  subject  held  a  very  prominent  place 
in  the  technoldgical  literature  of  the  ancients 
is  clearly  j)roved  ;  Pliny,  Theophrastus,  Strabo, 
1 


2  KEMINISCEXCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

Petronius  Arbiter,  Berzelias,  Neri,  Merrit,  Riin- 
ket,  and  otliers,  referring  constantly  to  it.  The 
writings  of  all  these  demonstrate  the  deep  in- 
terest existing  upon  the  subject  at  their  various 
times,  but  still  fail  to  present  us  with  any  con- 
nected or  detailed  account  of  the  rise  and  prog- 
ress of  the  art. 

When  it  is  considered  that  the  elements  in- 
volved in  the  manufacture  of  glass  are  derived 
from  the  earth,  — -  not  one  of  its  components 
being  in  itself  transparent,  but  earthy,  opaque, 
and  apparently  incapable  of  being  transmuted 
into  a  transparent  and  brilliant  substance, — 
when  it  is  considered  that  from  these  a  mate- 
rial is  produced  almost  rivalling  the  diamond  in 
lustre  and  refractive  power,  and  sometimes  so 
closely  resembling  the  richest  gems  as  to  de- 
tract from  the  value  of  the  costliest ;  can  it  be 
wonderful  that  in  the  earliest  agfes  the  art  was 
invested  with  a  mysterious  interest  attaching  to 
no  other  mechanical  department '? 

From  the  earliest  periods,  up  to  the  eighteenth 
century,  the  art,  from  the  peculiar  knowledge  and 
skill  involved,  could  only  minister  to  the  wants 
or  pleasures  of  the  luxurious  rich.  The  rarity 
of  the  material  rendered  the  articles  greatly  valu- 
able, as  tasteful  ornaments  of  dress  or  furniture ; 


KEMIXISCEXCKS    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  3 

indeed,  it  is  well  known  that  the  g^lass  of  \\'nice, 
at  one  period,  was  as  higlily  valued  as  is  the 
plate  of  the  present  day ;  and  the  passion  for 
possessing  specimens,  promised  in  England,  at 
least,  to  excite  a  spirit  of  speculation  fully  rival- 
ling that  exhihited  in  the  tulij)  mania,  so  ridicu- 
lous, as  well  as  ruinous,  in  Holland. 

It  has  heen  reserved  for  the  present  age,  how- 
ever, to  render  the  art  of  glass-making  trihutary 
to  the  comfort  of  man,  —  to  the  improvement  of 
science,  —  and  hv  its  moderate  cost  to  enable  the 
poorest  and  humblest  to  introduce  the  light  and 
warmth  of  the  sun  within,  while  excluding  the 
storms  and  chilly  blasts  ;  to  decorate  his  table 
with  the  useful,  and  minister  to  his  taste,  at  a 
cost  barely  more  than  that  of  one  of  his  ordinary 
days'  labor.  That  which  once  was  prized  and 
displayed  as  the  treasure  and  inheritance!  of  the 
wealthy,  and  which,  with  sacred  carefulness,  was 
handed  down  as  of  precious  value,  may  now  be 
found  in  the  humblest  dwellings,  and  is  procured 
at  a  charge  which  makes  the  account  of  the  for- 
mer  costliness  of  glass  to  partake  almost  of  the 
character  of  the  fabulous  and  visionary. 

That  the  art  of  "lass  manufacture  is  destined 
to  greater  progress  and  higher  triumphs  cannot 
for  a  moment  be  doubted  ;   and  the   time  will 


4  REMIXISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

arrive  when,  from  increased  purity  of  materials 
and  progressive  chemical  development,  the  pres- 
ent position  of  the  art  will  fall  comparatively  into 
the  shade.  It  is  no  undue  stretch  of  the  imag- 
ination to  conceive  that  lenses  shall  be  perfected 
whose  purity  will  enable  the  astronomer  to  pene- 
trate the  remotest  region  of  space  ;  new  worlds 
may  perhaps  be  revealed,  realizing  all  that  the 
"  moon  hoax  "  promised  — 

"  The  spacious  firmament  on  high, 
With  all  the  hlue  ethereal  sky 
And  spangled  heavens  " 

be  read  as  a  book,  and  man  perhaps  recognize 
man  in  other  worlds  than  his  own.  It  may  be 
that  in  its  triumphs  it  is  destined  to  concentrate 
the  rays  of  the  sunlight,  and  make  the  eye  to 
pierce  into  the  secrets  and  deep  places  of  the  sea, 

"Full  many  a  fathom  deep." 

Man  may  be  enabled  to  read  the  wonders  and 
the  hidden  works  of  the  Almighty  ;  it  may  be, 
that  the  power  of  the  traditional  lens  of  Archi- 
medes upon  the  fleet  of  Marcellus  shall  be  real- 
ized, in  the  absorbing  and  igniting,  and  perhaps 
useful  power  of  some  feature  of  its  progress; 
and  in  its  sphere,  the  art  become  fruitful  in  prac- 
tical results,  rivalHng  the  highest  attainments  in 
the  department  of  scientific  progress.     It  is  no 


REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING.  5 

visionary  speculation  to  lu'llcvc,  tliat,  l)y  the  aid 
of  nwicliinery,  it  n)ay  be  readily  rolled  into  sheets, 
as  is  iron  or  lead  now  in  use.  It  will  minister 
more  and  more  to  the  necessities  and  comfort 
of  mankind,  and  contribute  larocly  to  the  n)any 
and  various  manufacturincf  purposes  of  the  iig;e. 
That  its  practical  adaj)tations  are  not  already 
known  or  exhausted,  cannot  he  douhted  ;  ;nid 
its  aj)plicahilit\\  in  some  (■heaj)er  form,  for  ves- 
sels of  large  size  and  certain  shaj)e,  and  (strange 
as  it  may  seemj  for  tesselated  and  ordinary  floor- 
ing and  pavements,  are  among  the  results  which 
we  think  yet  to  he  demonstrated  in  its  progress. 

An  elegant  writer,  in  a  late  nund)er  of  "  Har- 
per's Magazine,"  says  :  — 

'•  Tlie  importance  of  glass,  and  the  infinite  va- 
riety of  objects  to  which  it  is  applicable,  cannot 
be  exaggerated  ;  indeed,  it  would  be  extremely 
difficult  to  enumerate  its  j)roperties,  or  estimate 
adecpiately  its  value.  This,  then,  transjiarent 
substance,  so  light  and  fragile,  is  one  of  the 
most  essential  ministers  of  science  and  philoso- 
phy, and  enters  so  minutelv  into  the  concerns  of 
life  that  it  has  become  indispensable  to  the  daily 
routine  of  our  business,  our  wants,  and  our  j)leas- 
ures.  It  admits  the  sun  and  excludes  the  wind, 
answering  the   double   purpose  of   transmitting 


6  EEMIXISCEXCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 


light  and  preserving  warmth ;  it  carries  the  eye 
of  the  astronomer  to  the  remotest  regions  of 
space ;  through  the  lenses  of  the  microscope  it 
developes  new  worlds  of  vitality,  which,  without 
its  help,  must  have  heen  but  imperfectly  known ; 
it  renews  the  sight  of  the  old,  and  assists  the 
curiosity  of  the  young  ;  it  empowers  the  mariner 
to  descry  distant  ships,  and  trace  far  off  shores ; 
the  watchman  on  the  cliff  to  detect  the  operations 
of  hostile  fleets  and  midnight  contrabandists,  and 
the  lounger  in  the  opera  to  make  the  tour  of  the 
circles  from  his  stall ;  it  preserves  the  light  of 
the  beacon  from  the  rush  of  the  tempest,  and 
softens  the  flame  of  the  lamp  upon  our  tables ; 
it  sup|)lies  the  revel  with  those  charming  vessels 
in  whose  bright  depths  we  enjoy  the  color  as 
well  as  the  flavor  of  our  wine ;  it  protects  the 
dial  whose  movements  it  reveals ;  it  enables  the 
student  to  penetrate  the  wonders  of  nature,  and 
the  beauty  to  survey  the  marvels  of  her  per- 
son ;  it  reflects,  magnifies,  and  diminishes ;  as 
a  medium  of  light  and  observation  its  uses  are 
without  limit,  and  as  an  article  of  mere  embel- 
lishment, there  is  no  form  into  which  it  may  not 
be  moulded,  or  no  object  of  luxury  to  which  it 
may  not  be  adapted." 

In  contrast  with  the  foregoing,  we  will  make 


RF.mXISCEXCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING.  7 

one  more  extract,  from  an  Enolisli  writer  of  an- 
cient (late.  Ilolinslied,  in  liis  '•  Chronicles. "  pub- 
lished during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  says  :  — 

"  It  is  a  world  to  see  in  tliese  our  days, 
wherein  gold  and  silver  aboundeth,  that  our 
gentility,  as  loathing  these  metals,  (because  of 
the  j)lenty,)  do  now  generally  choose  rather  the 
Venice  Glasses,  both  for  our  wine  and  beer, 
than  any  of  these  metals,  or  stone,  wherein  be- 
fore time  we  have  been  accustomed  to  drink ; 
but  such  is  the  nature  of  man  generally,  that 
it  most  coveteth  things  diflicult  to  be  attained ; 
and  such  is  the  estimation  of  this  stuff,  that 
many  become  rich  only  with  their  new  trade  into 
Murana,  (a  town  near  to  Venice,)  from  whence 
the  very  best  are  daily  to  be  had,  and  such  as 
for  beauty  do  well  near  match  the  Crystal  or  the 
ancient  Murrhina  Vase,  whereof  now  no  man  has 
knowledge.  And  as  this  is  seen  in  the  gentility, 
so  in  the  wealthy  conmionality  the  like  desire  of 
glasses  is  not  neglected,  whereby  the  gain  gotten 
by  their  purchase  is  much  more  increased,  to  the 
benefit  of  the  merchant.  Tiie  pooiest  endeavor 
to  have  glasses  also  if  they  may  ;  but  as  the 
Venetian  is  somewhat  too  dear  for  them,  they 
content  themselves  with  such  as  are  made  at 
home  of  ft'in  and  burnt  stone ;  but  in  fine,  all 
go  one  way,  that  is  to  the  shades,  at  last.' 


EEMIXISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 


PROPERTIES    OF    GLASS. 

Glass  has  projjerties  peculiarly  its  own  ;  one 
of  which  is  that  it  is  of  no  greater  bulk  when 
hot,  or  in  the  melted  state,  than  when  cold. 
Some  writers  state  that  it  is  (contrary  to  the 
analogy  of  all  other  metals)  of  greater  bulk 
when  cold  than  when  hot. 

It  is  transparent  in  itself;  but  the  materials 
of  which  it  is  composed  are  opaque.  It  is  not 
malleable,  but  in  ductility  ranks  next  to  gold. 
Its  flexibility,  also,  is  so  great  that  when  hot  it 
can  be  drawn  out,  like  elastic  thread,  miles  in 
length,  in  a  moment,  and  to  a  minuteness  equal 
to  that  of  the  silk-worm.  Brittle,  also,  to  a 
proverb,  it  is  so  elastic  that  it  can  be  blown  to 
a  gauze-like  thinness,  so  as  easily  to  float  upon 
the  air.  Its  elasticity  is  also  shown  by  the  fact 
that  a  globe,  hermetically  sealed,  if  dropped  upon 
a  polished  anvil,  will  recoil  two  thirds  the  dis- 
tance of  its  fall,  and  remain  entire  until  the 
second  or  third  rebound.  (The  force  with  uiiich 
solid  balls  strike  each  other  may  be  estimated  at 
ten,  and  the  reaction,  by  reason  of  the  elastic 
property,  at  nine.)  Vessels,  called  bursting- 
glasses,  are  njade  of  sufficient  strength  to  be 
drawn  about  a  floor ;  a  bullet  may  be  dropped 


i:i:minisci:ncks  oi'  (jlass-making.  9 

into  one  witlioiit  fracture  of  tlie  «r]ass  ;  even  tlie 
stroke  of  a  nwillet  snlVieiently  heavy  to  drive  a 
nail  lias  failed  to  break  surli  olasses.  In  a 
\\<»r(l,  ordinary  blows  fail  to  produce  an  impres- 
sion upon  tn'tides  of  this  kind.  If,  hou'ever,  a 
])iece  of  (lint,  cornelian,  diamond,  or  other  hard 
stone,  fall  into  one  of  these  glasses,  or  he  shaken 
therein  a  few  moments,  the  vessel  will  fly  into  a 
myriad  of  jiieces. 

(ilass  of  the  class  called  Prince  Ruj)i'rt  Drops 
exhibits  another  striking;;  pro|)erty.  Let  the  small 
j)oint  be  broken,  aiul  the  \vh(»le  flies  with  a  shock 
into  powder.  \\  riters  have  endeavored  to  solve 
the  philosoj)hy  of  this  j)luMiom('non  ;  some  by 
attribntinn'  it  to  percussion  puttin<r  in  motion 
some  subtle  lluid  with  which  the  essential  sub- 
stance of  gkiss  is  permeated,  and  thus  the  attrac- 
tion of  cohesion  being  overcome.  Some  denom- 
inate the  fluid  electricity,  and  assert  that  it  exists 
in  glass  in  great  (piantities,  and  is  capable  of 
breakin<j  "lass  when  well  annealed,  'i'hese  writ- 
ers  do  not  appear  to  have  luiined  anv  eoncliision 
satisfactory  to  themselves,  and  fail  to  afford  any 
well-defined  solution  to  the  mvstery. 

Another  j)henomenon  in  connection  with  glass 
tubes  is  recorded  in  the  "  Philosophical  Trans- 
actio^js,"  No.  47(3  :  — 


10  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

"  Place  a  tube,  say  two  feet  long,  before  a  fire, 
in  a  horizontal  position,  having  the  position  prop- 
erly supported,  say  by  putting  in  a  cork  at  each 
end  supported  by  pins  for  an  axis  ;  the  rod  will 
acquire  a  rotary  motion  round  the  axis,  and  also 
a  progressive  motion  towards  the  fire,  even  if  the 
supporters  are  declined  from  the  fire.  When  the 
progressive  motion  of  the  tube  towards  the  fire 
is  stopped  by  any  obstacle,  the  rotation  is  still 
continued.  When  the  tubes  are  placed  in  nearly 
an  upright  position,  leaning  to  the  right  hand, 
the  motion  will  be  from  east  to  west ;  but  if  they 
lean  to  the  left  hand,  their  motion  will  be  from 
west  to  east ;  and  the  nearer  they  are  placed  to 
an  upright  position  the  less  will  be  their  motion 
either  way.  If  the  tubes  be  placed  on  a  sheet  of 
glass,  instead  of  moving  towards  the  fire  they 
will  move  from  it,  and  about  the  axis  in  a  con- 
trary direction  from  what  they  did  before ;  nay, 
they  will  recede  from  the  fire,  and  move  a  little 
upwards  when  the  plane  inclines  towards  the 
fire." 

Glass  is  used  for  pendulums,  as  not  being 
subject  to  affections  from  heat  or  cold.  It  is,  as 
is  well  known,  a  non-conductor.  No  metallic 
condenser  possesses  an  equal  power  with  one  of 
glass.     In  summer,  when  moisture  fails  to  col- 


RF.MIN'ISCEXCES    OF    GLASS-MAKIXO.  11 

lect  on  a  metallic  surface,  open  o^lass  will  nrntlier 
it  on  the  exterior  ;  tlie  slif^htest  breath  of  air  evi- 
dently atVeetiiig  the  glass  with  moisture.  Dew 
will  alVect  the  surface  of  glass  while  apparently 
nniiilhiential  upon  other  surfaces. 

The  pr(ij)erties  of  so-called  "  nuisical  glasses  " 
are  strikingly  singular.  Cilass  howls,  ])artly  filled 
with  wjiter,  in  various  quantity,  will,  as  is  well 
known,  emit  musical  sounds,  varying  with  the 
thickness  of  their  edges  or  lips.  When  ruhhed, 
too,  with  a  wet  finger,  gently,  the  water  in  the 
glass  is  plaiidy  seen  to  tremble  and  vibrate. 

Bells  manufactured  of  glass  have  been  found 
the  clearest  and  most  sonorous  ;  the  vibration  of 
sound  extending  to  a  greater  degree  than  in  me- 
tallic bells. 

Glass  resists  the  action  of  nil  acids  except  the 
"fluoric."  It  loses  nothing  in  weight  by  use 
or  age.  It  is  more  capable  than  all  other  sub- 
stances of  receiviniT  the  hiirhest  deirree  of  polish. 
If  melted  seven  times  over  and  properlv  cooled 
in  th(^  fm-nace,  it  will  receive  a  polish  rivalling 
almost  the  diamond  in  brilliancy.  It  is  caj)able 
of  receiving  the  richest  colors  procured  from 
gold  or  other  metallic  coloring,  and  will  retain 
its  original  brilliancy  of  hue  for  ages.  Medals, 
too,  eudjedded  in  glass,  can  be  made  to  retain 
forever  tb.cir  original   purity  and  appearance. 


12  REMIXISCEXCES  OF  GLASS-MAKIXG. 

Another  singular  property  of  glass  is  shown 
in  the  fact,  that  when  the  furnace,  as  the  work- 
men term  it,  is  settled,  the  metal  is  perfectly 
plain  and  clear  ;  but  if  by  accident  the  metal 
becomes  too  cool  to  work,  and  the  furnace  heat 
required  to  be  raised,  the  glass,  which  had  before 
remained  in  the  open  pots  perfectly  calm  and 
plain,  immediately  becomes  agitated  or  boiling. 
The  glass  rises  in  a  mass  of  spongy  matter  and 
bubbles,  and  is  rendered  worthless.  A  change 
is  however  immediately  effected  by  throwing  a 
tumbler  of  water  upon  the  metal,  when  the  agita- 
tion immediately  ceases,  and  the  glass  assumes 
its  original  quiet  and  clearness. 

All  writers  upon  the  subject  of  glass  manu- 
facture fail  to  show  anything  decisive  upon  the 
precise  period  of  its  invention.  Some  suppose 
it  to  have  been  invented  before  the  flood.  Nervi 
traces  its  antiquity  to  the  yet  problematical  time 
of  Job. 

It  seems  clear,  however,  that  the  art  was 
known  to  the  Egyptians  thirty-five  hundred 
years  since ;  for  records  handed  down  to  us  in 
the  form  of  paintings,  hieroglyphics,  &c.,  demon- 
strate its  existence  in  the  reign  of  the  first  Osir- 
tasen,  and  existing  relics  in  glass,  taken  from  the 
ruins  of  Thebes,  with  hieroglyphical  data,  clearly 


KKMIXISCENCES  OF  GI.ASS-MAKINT..  13 

place  its  anti(|nitv  at  a  point  fifteen  centuries 
prior  to  the  time  of  Christ. 

Mr.  Keniict  Loftiis.  the  first  Euroj)e;in  who 
has  visited  the;  aiicieiit  ruins  of  Warka,  in  Meso- 
potamia, writes  thus  :  '•  Warka  is  no  douht  the 
Erech  of  Scripture,  the  second  city  of  Nimrod, 
and  it  is  the  Ordioe  of  the  Chaldees.  The 
mounds  witliin  the  walls  allord  suhjects  of  hi^rh 
interest  to  the  historian  ;  they  arc  filled,  or  I  may 
say  composed,  of  coflins  piled  upon  each  (»ther 
to  the  lieirrht  of  fortv-five  feet." 

"  Tiie  colTins  are  of  haked  clay,  covered  w  ith 
green  glaze,  and  embossed  with  the  figures  of 
warriors,  &c.,  and  witliiu  are  ornaments  of  gold, 
silver,  iron,  copper,  and  yA^ys." 

Layard,  in  his  discoveries  among  the  ruins  of 
Nineveh  and  liahvlon,  in  chapter  Sth,  says;  ••  In 
this  chaiid)cr  were  found  two  entire  glass  bowls, 
with  fraii'ments  of  otiiers.  Tlie  iilass,  like  all 
others  that  come  from  the  ruins,  is  covered  with 
pearly  scales,  which,  on  being  removed,  leave 
prismatic,  opal-like  colors  of  the  greatest  brill- 
iancy, showing,  under  different  lights,  the  most 
varied  tints.  This  is  a  well-known  effect  of  aire, 
ari.^ing  from  the  decomposition  of  certain  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  glass.  These  bowls  are 
probably  of  the  same  period  as  the  small  bottle 


14  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

found  in  the  ruins  of  the  northwest  palace  dur- 
ing the  previous  excavations,  and  now  in  the 
British  Museum.  On  this  highly  interesting 
relic  is  the  name  of  Sargon,  with  his  title  of 
King  of  Assyria,  in  cuneiform  characters,  and 
the  figure  of  a  lion.  We  are  therefore  ahle  to 
fix  its  date  to  the  latter  part  of  the  seventh  cen- 
tury B.  c.  It  is  consequently  the  most  ancient 
known  specimen  of  iransjparent  glass." 

In  chapters  22d  and  25th,  he  gives  us  the 
form  of  many  glass  vessels  from  the  mound  of 
Babel,  similar  in  form  to  the  modern  fish-globes, 
flower-vases  and  table  water-bottles  of  the  pres- 
ent day  —  the  latter  being  reeded  must  have 
been  formed  in  metallic  moulds  —  and  pieces 
of  glass  tubes,  the  exterior  impression  exactly 
like  our  modern  patch  diamond  figure. 

Of  the  several  specimens  of  glass  brought 
to  England  by  Mr.  Layard,  one,  the  fragment 
of  a  vase,  when  examined,  was  of  a  dull  green 
color,  as  though  incrusted  with  carbonate  of  cop- 
per. This  color  was  quite  superficial,  and  the 
glass  itself  was  opaque  and  of  a  vermilion  tint, 
attributed  to  suboxide  of  copper.  The  outer 
green  covering  was  due  to  the  action  of  the 
atmosphere  on  the  surface  of  the  glass,  and  the 
consequent  change  of  the  suboxide  into  green 


ULMINISCENX'IIS  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  1') 

carbonate  of  copper.  Tins  specinuMi  is  interest- 
ing^, as  showing-  tlie  early  use  and  knowledge  of 
suhoxide  of  copj)er  as  a  stain  or  coloring  agent 
for  glass.  The  ancients  enij)loyed  several  sub- 
stances in  their  glass,  and  colored  glazes  for 
bricks  and  jxifterv,  but  of  wbieh  there  remains 
no  published  record.  But  tliese  glasses  and 
other  ancient  works  of  art  pro\'e  that  tliey  were 
familiar  with  the  use  of  oxide  of  lead  as  a  flux 
in  their  vitreous  glasses,  and  with  stannic  acid 
and  Naples  yellow  as  stains  or  ])igments. 

Other  writers  believe  that  glass  was  in  more 
general  use  in  the  ancient  than  in  comparatively 
modern  times,  and  afiirm  tliat  among  the  Egyp- 
tians it  was  used  even  as  material  for  coffins.  It 
is  certainly  true  that  so  well  did  the  Egyptians 
understand  the  art,  that  they  excelled  in  the  imi- 
tation of  precious  stones,  and  were  well  acquainted 
with  the  metallic  oxides  used  in  coloriu"-  ehiss  : 
and  the  specimens  of  their  skill,  still  ])reserved 
in  the  British  Museum  and  in  ])rivate  collections, 
prove  the  great  skill  and  ingenuity  of  tlieir  work- 
men in  mosaic  similar  in  aj)j)earance  to  the  mod- 
ern ])aper-weights.  Among  the  specimens  of 
Egyptian  glass  still  existing  is  a  fragment  repre- 
senting a  lion  in  bas-relief,  well  executed  and 
anatomically  correct.  Other  specimens  are  found 
inscribed  with  Arabic  characters. 


16  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

All  writers  agree  that  the  glass-houses  in 
Alexandria,  in  Egypt,  were  highly  celehrated 
for  the  ingenuity  and  skill  of  their  workmen, 
and  the  extent  of  their  manufactures. 

Straho  relates  that  the  Emperor  Hadrian  re- 
ceived from  an  Egyptian  priest  a  numher  of 
glass  cups  in  mosaic,  sparkling  with  every  color, 
and  deemed  of  such  rare  value  that  they  were 
used  only  on  great  festivals. 

The  tombs  at  Thebes,  the  ruins  of  Pompeii 
and  Herculaneum,  and  the  remains  of  the  villa 
of  the  Emperor  Tiberius,  go  not  only  incident- 
ally to  establish  the  antiquity  of  the  art,  but  also 
prove  the  exquisite  taste  and  skill  of  the  artists 
of  their  various  periods. 

The  first  glass-houses,  well  authenticated,  were 
erected  in  the  city  of  Tyre.  Modern  writers  upon 
the  subject  generally  refer  to  Pliny  in  establish- 
ing the  fact  that  the  Phoenicians  were  the  in- 
ventors of  the  art  of  glass-making.  The  tradi- 
tion is  that  the  art  was  originally  brought  to 
light  under  the  following  circumstances.  A  ves- 
sel being  driven  by  a  storm  to  take  shelter  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Bel  us,  the  crew  were  obliged 
to  remain  there  some  length  of  time.  In  the 
process  of  cooking,  a  fire  was  made  upon  the 
ground,   whereon   was    abundance    of   the  herb 


KKMINISCKNCKS   Ol-"   tlLASS-MAKIXU.  17 

"  kale.  "  That  plant  iMiniing^  to  aslios,  the  jsahue 
pro[)erties  heeaiiie  incoijxMated  with  tlie  sand. 
This  causing  vitrititatioii,  the  coinpoimd  now 
calK'd  iilass  was  the  result.  Tlic  latt  lu'coinina" 
known,  the  inhabitants  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  es- 
sayed the  work,  and  l)r<»n<:;ht  the  new  invention 
into  practical  use.  This  is  the  tradition  :  but 
modern  science  demonstrates  the  false  philoso- 
phv,  if  not  the  incorrectness,  of  Pliny's  account; 
and  modern  manufacturers  will  readily  detect  the 
error,  from  the  impossibility  of  meltin«i;"  silex  and 
soda  by  the  heat  necessary  for  the  ordinary  boil- 
ing" purposes. 

It  is  a  well-authenticated  fact,  however,  that 
there  were  whole  streets  in  Tyre  entirely  occu- 
pied by  glass-works  ;  and  history  makes  no  njen- 
tion  «»f  any  works  of  this  character  at  an  earlier 
period  than  the  time  mentioned  by  Pliny. 

That  Tyre  possessed  peculiar  advantages  for 
the  manufacture,  is  very  clear  from  geographical 
and  geological  data,  the  sand  uj)on  the  shore  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river  Belus  being  j)ure  silica, 
and  well  adapted  to  the  manufacture.  The  ex- 
tensive range  of  Tyrian  commerce,  too,  gave 
anijile  facilities  for  the  exportation  and  sale  of 
the  staple  ;  and  for  some  ages  it  nmst  have  con- 
stituted almost  the  only  article,  or  at  least  the 
2 


18  REMINISCEXCES   OF  GLASS-MAKIXG. 

prominent  article,  of  trade.  Doubtless  the  rich 
freights  of  "  the  ships  of  Tyre,"  mentioned  in 
Scripture,  may  in  part  have  been  composed  of  a 
material  now  as  common  as  any  of  its  original 
elements. 

From  Tyre  and  Sidon  the  art  was  transferred 
to  Rome.  Pliny  states  it  flourished  most  exten- 
sively during  the  reign  of  Tiberius,  entire  streets 
of  the  city  being  then  occupied  by  the  glass 
manufactories.  From  the  period  of  Tiberius 
the  progress  of  the  art  seems  more  definite  and 
marked,  both  as  relates  to  the  quantity  and  mode 
of  manufacture. 

It  was  during  the  reign  of  Nero,  so  far  as  we 
can  discover,  that  the  first  perfectly  clear  glass, 
resembling  crystal,  was  manufactured.  Pliny 
states  that  Nero,  for  two  cups  of  ordinary  size, 
with  handles,  gave  six  thousand  sestertia,  equal 
in  our  currency  to  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars ;  and  that  rich  articles  of  glass 
were  in  such  general  use  among  the  wealthy 
Romans  as  almost  to  supersede  articles  of  gold 
and  silver.  The  art,  however,  at  that  period, 
seems  to  have  been  entirely  devoted  to  articles 
of  luxury,  and  from  the  great  price  paid,  sup- 
ported many  establishments,  —  all  however  evi- 
dently upon  a  comparatively  small  scale,  and 
confined,  as  it  would  appear,  to  families. 


REMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING.  19 

Uj)  t(t  this  period,  no  evidfiice  appears  to 
prove  tliat  any  otiier  than  colored  articles  in 
glass-\\;ire  were  made.  It  is  clear,  too,  that 
the  I'lirnaces  and  nieltinfr-pots  then  in  use  were 
of  very  limited  capacity,  the  latter  heing'  of  cru- 
cible shape  ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  time  of 
Nero  that  the  discovery  was  made  tiiat  muHled 
crucii)les  or  pots,  as  at  the  present  dav,  were  re- 
quireil  in  order  to  make  crystal  glass.  (W  ithout 
them,  it  is  well  known,  crystal  glass  cannot  be 
perfected.)  It  aj)pears,  further,  that  a  definite 
street  in  the  ('i(y  of  Rome  was  assioiied  to  the 
manufacturers  of  this  article;  and  that  in  the 
reign  of  Severus  they  had  attained  such  a  posi- 
tion, and  accumulated  wealth  to  such  a  degree, 
that  a  formal  tax  was  levied  upon  them.  Some 
writers  take  the  ground  that  this  assessment  was 
the  primary  cause  of  the  transfer  of  the  manu- 
facture to  other  places. 

That  the  peculiar  ])roperty  of  the  manufacture 
at  this  period  was  its  clear  ami  crystal  appear- 
ance is  abundantly  evident  ;  and  this,  and  the 
great  degree  of  perfection  to  which  the  manu- 
facture of  white  or  crystal-like  glass  was  carried, 
are  by  many  writers  thought  to  have  been  proved 
from  classical  sources, —  Horace  and  Virgil  both 
referring  to  it,  the  one  speaking  of  its  beautiful 


20  EEMI^^SCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

lustre  and  brilliancy,  the  other  comparing  it  to 
the  clearness  of  the  waters  of  the  Fucine  Lake. 
The  decline  of  this  art  in  Ronme  is  clearly- 
defined  by  various  writers ;  and  its  gradual 
introduction  into  Bohemia  and  Venice  is  plainly 
marked  out.  At  this  latter  place  the  art  flour- 
ished to  a  remarkable  degree,  and  being  marked 
by  constant  progress  and  improvement,  enabled 
Venice  to  supply  the  world  without  a  rival,  and 
with  the  beautiful  manufacture  called  "  Venice 
drinking-cups."  The  beauty  and  value  of  these 
are  abundantly  testified  to  by  many  authors, 
among  whom  is  Holinshed,  referred  to  previ- 
ously. The  manufacture  of  these  and  similar 
articles  were  located,  as  stated  in  the  "  Chroni- 
cles," at  Murano,  a  place  about  one  mile  from 
the  city,  where  the  business  was  carried  on,  and 
assumed  a  high  position  in  the  order  of  the  arts. 
And  from  thence  we  are  enabled  to  date  its 
future  progress  and  gradual  introduction  into 
Europe,  Germany,  England,  and  the  Western 
World. 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  strict  secrecy  with 
which  the  business  was  conducted  in  these  times, 
should  have  invested  the  art  with  an  air  of  ro- 
mance ;  and  legends,  probably  invented  for  the 
purpose,  created  a  maximum  of  wonder  among 


KF.MINISCEXCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING.  21 

the  uninitiated.  The  govcriiiiKMit  of  Venice  also 
a(M('(l,  hy  its  course,  to  tlie  j)(>j)nlar  notions  re- 
fj^arcHii^  the  hi<^h  mystery  of  tlie  art,  conferring-, 
as  it  (lid,  the  title  of  '•  Gentleman  "  (no  idle  title 
in  th(t>e  days)  on  all  who  hecame  accomplished 
in  the  manufacture.  Howell,  in  his  "  Familiar 
Letters,"  dated  from  Venice  in  lG!21,says  :  "  Not 
without  reason,  it  being  a  rare  kind  of  knowledge 
and  chemistry,  to  transmute  the  didl  bodies  of 
dust  and  sand,  for  they  are  the  only  ingredients, 
to  such  pellucid,  dainty  body,  as  we  see  crystal 
glass  is." 

That  the  art  had  greatly  improyed  in  the 
hands  of  the  Venetian  artisans  cannot  be 
doubted.  The  maimfacture  was  carried  to  a 
degree  far  beyond  any  preyious  period  ;  and  the 
more  so,  because  sustained  by  the  goyernmental 
protection  and  j)atronage.  Venice  being  then 
in  the  height  of  her  commercial  glory,  she  her- 
self being  '•  Queen  of  the  Sea,"  ample  facilities 
existed  for  the  exportation  of  her  manufactures 
to  every  part  of  the  known  ^vorld  ;  and  for  a 
long  period  she  held  the  nutnopoly  of  supplying 
the  cities  of  Europe  with  crystal  glass  in  its 
various  dej)artments  of  ornament  and  utility. 

A  French  writer,  who  pui)li>hed  an  elaljorate 
work  in  tweUe  books  upon  the  subject  of  glass 


22  EEMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

manufacture/  after  it  had  been  introduced  into 
France,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  tlie  rise 
and  progress  of  the  art  in  that  country,  the  en- 
couragement it  received,  and  tlie  high  estimation 
in  which  it  was  held.  After  stating-  that  it  was 
introduced  into  France  from  Venice,  he  says  :  — 

"  The  workmen  who  are  employed  in  this 
noble  art  are  all  gentlemen,  for  they  admit  none 
but  such.  They  have  obtained  many  large  priv- 
ileges, the  principal  whereof  is  to  work  them- 
selves, without  derogating  from  their  nobility. 
Those  who  obtained  these  privileges  first  were 
gentlemen  by  birth ;  and  their  privilege  running, 
that  they  may  exercise  this  art  without  derogat- 
ing from  their  nobility,  as  a  sufficient  proof  of 
it,  which  has  been  confirmed  by  all  our  kings  ; 
and  in  all  inquiries  that  have  been  made  into 
counterfeit  nobilities,  never  was  any  one  attainted 
who  enjoyed  these  privileges,  having  always 
maintained  their  honor  down  to  their  posterity." 

Baron  Von  Lowhen  states,  in  his  "Analysis 
of  Nobility  in  its  Origin,"  that,  "  So  useful  were 
the  glass-makers  at  one  period  in  Venice,  and  so 
considerable  the  revenue  accruing  to  the  republic 
from  their  manufacture,  that,  to  encourage  the 
men  engaged  in  it  to  remain  in  Murano,  the 
Senate  made  them  all  Burgesses  of  Venice,  and 


REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  23 

allowfd  iu)l)k's  to  iiiarrv  tlioir  (l;m<^ht(Ms  ;  uliere- 
as.  if  a  ii<il)l('man  marries  tlie  (hmnlitcr  of  any 
oiIkt  trailL'siuaii,  the  issue  is  not  reputed  noltle." 

From  this  statement  a  valuable  lesson  can  he 
drawn,  viz.,  that  a  strict  j)arallel  is  constantly 
ohservahle  between  tiie  profjress  of  this  art  and 
the  intellectual  and  social  elevation  of  its  pos- 
sessors. 

Those  engajjed  in  it  now  do  not  indeed  occupy 
the  same  social  position  ;  still  it  is  probable  that 
in  foreI<in  lands  the  blood  of  noble  ancestors  still 
runs  in  their  veins  ;  and  even  in  oiu*  own  demo- 
cratical  land,  with  all  the  tendencies  of  its  insti- 
tutions, workers  in  <ilass  claim  a  distinctive  rank 
and  character  amonn^  the  trades  ;  and  in  the 
prices  of  labor,  and  the  estimate  of  the  compara- 
tiwi  skill  involved,  are  not  controlk'd  by  those 
laws  of  labor  and  c(»mj)ensation  which  <^(i\('rn 
most  other  mechanical  professions  ;  and  similarity 
of  taste  and  habit  is  in  a  dej^ree  characteristic  of 
the  modern  artisan  in  this  dej)artment,  as  in  the 
case  of  those  who,  for  their  accomplishment  in 
the  art,  were  ennobled  in  tiie  more  remote  period 
of  its  j)ro<i^ress.     The  same  writer  says  :  — 

'•  It  must  be  owned  those  fjreat  and  continual 
heats,  which  those  gentlemen  are  exposed  to  from 
their  fiirnaces,  are  prejudicial  to  their  healtli  ;  for, 


24  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

coming  in  at  their  mouths,  it  attacks  their  lungs 
and  dries  them  up,  whence  most  part  are  pale 
and  short-lived,  by  reason  of  the  diseases  of  the 
heart  and  breast,  which  the  fire  causes  ;  which 
makes  Libarius  say,  'they  were  of  weak  and  in- 
firm bodies,  thirsty,  and  easily  made  drimk,'  — 
this  writer  says,  this  is  their  true  character  :  but 
I  will  say  this  in  their  favor,  that  this  character 
is  not  general,  having  known  several  without 
this  fault." 

Such  was  the  character  and  habits  of  noble 
glass-makers  four  hundred  years  since  ;  and 
whether  their  descendants  still  retain  their  blood 
or  not,  the  habit  of  drinking,  believed  at  that 
time  necessary  as  consequent  upon  the  nature  of 
the  employment,  is,  at  the  present  day,  confined 
to  the  ignorant,  dissolute,  and  unambitious  work- 
men. The  habit  will,  doubtless,  ere  long  be 
done  away.  Still,  so  long  as  the  workmen  of  the 
present  day  cling  to  their  conventional  rules,  — 
act  as  one  body,  the  lazy  controlling  the  efforts 
of  the  more  intelligent  and  industrious, — so  long 
will  the  conduct  of  the  dissolute  few  affect  the 
moral  reputation  of  the  entire  body.  Tiiey  must 
not  forget  the  old  adage,  that  "  One  bad  sheep 
taints  the  whole  flock."  The  spirit  of  the  age 
in  no  degree  tends  to  sustain  the  old  saying,  that 
"  Live  horses  must  draw  the  dead  ones." 


RKMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKIXG.  25 

The  writer  already  referred  to,  (l\vellii)ii  with 
great  interest  upon  the  social  j)ositioii  of  those 
then  eiiiiaiied   in   the  art,  g^oes  on  to  say  :  — 

"Anthony  de  Brossard,  Lord  of  St.  Martin 
and  St.  lirice,  gentleman  to  (  liarles  d'Artois, 
Connt  of  Ell,  a  piince  of  n(»h]e  Itlood  royal,  find- 
ing this  art  so  considerahle,  tiiat  nnderstaiiding 
it  did  not  derogate  from  their  nohility,  ohtained  a 
grant  in  the  yenv  1453  to  estahlish  a  glass-house 
in  his  cctuntry,  with  prohihition  of  any  other,  and 
several  other  privileges  he  had  annexed  to  it. 
The  fariiily  and  extraction  of  this  Sieur  de  l^ros- 
sard  was  considerable  enough  to  bring  him  here 
as  an  example.  The  right  of  making  glass  being 
so  honorable,  since  the  elder  sons  of  the  family 
of  l^ro^sard  left  it  otl,  the  younger  have  taken  it 
up,  and  continue  it  to  this  day.  Messieurs  de 
Caqueray,  also  gentlemen  of  ancient  extraction, 
obtained  a  right  of  glass-making,  which  one  of 
their  ancestors  contracted  by  marriage  in  the 
year  11  (iS,  with  a  daughter  of  Anthony  de  Bros- 
sard. Lord  of  St.  Martin,  that  gentleman  giving 
half  of  bis  right  for  part  of  her  fortune,  which 
was  afterwards  confirmed  in  the  C'hand)er  of  Ac- 
counts. Messieurs  \  alliant,  an  ancient  family  of 
gentlemen,  also  obtained  a  grant  of  a  glass-house 
for  recompense  of  their  services,  and  for  arms  a 


26  REMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

Poignard  d'Or  on  azure,  which  agrees  with  their 
name  and  tried  valor.  Besides  these  faniihes, 
who  still  continue  to  exercise  this  art,  there  are 
the  Messieurs  de  Virgille,  who  have  a  grant  for 
a  little  glass-house.  Messieurs  de  la  Mairie,  de 
Suqrie,  de  Bougard,  and  several  others,  have 
been  confirmed  in  their  nobility  during  the  late 
search  in  the  year  1667- 

"  We  have,  moreover,  in  France,  several  great 
families,  sprung  from  gentlemen  glass-makers 
who  have  left  the  trade,  a^mong  whom  some  have 
been  honored  with  the  purple  and  the  highest 
dignities  and  offices." 

Enough  is  recorded  to  show  in  what  esti- 
mation the  art  was  held  in  France  by  the  gov- 
ernment and  people  of  that  period  ;  and  it  is 
in  nowise  wonderful  that  an  art  invested  with 
so  much  distinction,  conducted  with  so  much 
secrecy,  and  characterized  with  so  great  a  de- 
gree of  romantic  interest,  should  have  given  rise 
to  strange  reports  and  legends,  hereafter  to  be 
referred  to. 

The  writer  referred  to  above  states  that  there 
were  two  modes  of  manufacturing  glass.  One 
he  denominates  that  of  the  "  Great  Glass- 
Houses,"  the  other  the  "  Small  Glass-Houses." 
In  the  large  houses  the  manufacture  of  window- 


im:miniscknci:s  of  glass-making.  27 

glass,  and  bottles  for  wine  or  otlier  licjiiors,  was 
carried  on.      He  states  :  — 

"The  gentlemen  of  the  Great  Glass-IIouses 
work  only  twelve  hours,  luit  that  without  resting, 
as  in  the  little  ones,  and  always  standing  and 
naked.  Tiie  work  passes  through  three  hands. 
First,  the  gentlemen  aj)i)rentices  gather  the  glass 
and  prepare  the  same.  It  is  then  handed  to  the 
second  gentlemen,  who  are  more  advanced  in  the 
art.  Then  the  master  gentleman^  takes  it,  and 
makes  it  perfect  by  blowing  it.  In  the  little 
glass-houses,  where  they  make  coach-glasses 
drinking-glasses,  crystals,  dishes,  cups,  bottles, 
and  such  like  sort  of  vessels,  the  gentlemen  labor 
but  six  hours  together,  and  then  more  come  and 
take  their  places,  and  after  they  have  lahored  the 
same  time  they  give  places  to  the  first ;  and  thus 
they  work  night  and  day,  the  same  workmen 
successively,  as  long  as  the  furnace  is  in  a  good 
condition." 

Every  glass-maker  will  perceive,  from  the 
foregoing  description,  that  the  same  system 
prevails  at  the  ])resent  time,  as  to  the  division 
of  labor  and  j)eriod  of  labor,  so  far  at  least  as 
"  blown  articles  "  are  concerned.  The  names, 
too,  then  given  to  glass-makers'  tools  are  re- 
tained to  the  present  day,  and,  with  slight  dif- 


28  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

ference,  the  shapes  of  the  various  tools  are  the 
same. 

At  the  hest,  the  manufacturers  of  glass  in 
France  were  for  a  long  period  much  inferior  to 
the  Venetians  and  Bohemians  ;  but  after  the 
introduction  of  window-glass,  from  Venice,  the 
making  of  crystal  glass  greatly  extended  and 
correspondingly  improved. 

In  the  year  1665  the  government  of  France, 
desirous  of  introducing  the  manufacture  of  win- 
dow-glass, offered  sufficient  inducement  in  money 
and  privileges  to  a  number  of  French  artists 
(who  had  acquired  the  process  at  Murano,  at 
Venice)  to  establish  works  at  Tourtanville.  At 
these  works  the  same  system  of  blowing  was  fol- 
lowed as  that  used  in  the  Venetian  glass-works. 
A  workman,  under  this  system,  named  Thevart, 
discovered  the  art  of  casting  plate-glass,  and  ob- 
tained from  the  government  a  patent  for  the  term 
of  thirty  years.  He  erected  extensive  works  in 
Paris,  and  succeeded  in  what  was  then  deemed 
an  extraordinary  feat,  casting  plates  eighty-four 
inches  by  fifty  inches,  thereby  exciting  unbounded 
admiration. 

The  credit  of  the  invention  of  casting  plates 
of  glass  belongs  to  France,  and  the  mode  then 
adopted  exists  at  the  present  day,  with  but  slight 


KKMINISCENCKS    Or    GLASS-MAKING.  29 

variation.  iMimcc  monopolized  the  niaiiufaetiire 
over  one  liundrecl  years  before  it  was  introduced 
into  any  other  country. 

Writers  generally  agree  tliat  the  niainif;u'ture 
of  glass  was  introduced  into  England  in  the  veiir 
15^7.  "  Friars'  Ilidl,"  as  stated  by  one  writer, 
was  converted  into  a  manufactory  of  window- 
glass,  —  other  writers  say,  for  crystal  glass, 
(called  hv  the  English  "  flint,"  from  the  fact 
of  the  use  of  flint-stones,  which,  by  great  labor, 
they  burnt  and  ground.)  In  157"5,  Friars' 
Hall  Glass-Works,  with  forty  thousand  billets 
of  wood,  were  destroyed  by  fire. 

In  1635,  seventy-eight  years  after  the  art  was 
introduced  into  England,  Sir  Robert  Mansell  in- 
trttduced  the  use  of  coal  fuel  instead  of  wood, 
and  obtained  from  the  English  government  the 
monopoly  of  importing  the  fine  Venetian  drink- 
ing-glasses,  an  evidence  that  the  art  in  England 
was  confined  as  yet  to  the  coarser  articles.  In- 
deed, it  was  not  until  the  reign  of  \\  illiam  III. 
that  the  art  of  making  Venetian  drinking-vessels 
was  brought  into  perfection,  —  quite  a  century 
after  the  art  was  introduced  into  Enj^land  ;  an 
evidence  of  the  slow  progress  made  by  tiie  art 
in  that  country. 

.As   France  was   indebted    to  Venice  for  her 


30  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

workmen,  so  also  was  England  indebted  to  the 
same  source.  Howell,  in  one  of  his  "  Familiar 
Letters,"  directed  to  Sir  Robert  Mansell,  Vice- 
Admiral  of  England,  says  :  "  Soon  as  I  came  to 
Venice,  I  applied  myself  to  dispatch  your  busi- 
ness according  to  instruction,  and  Mr.  Seymour 
was  ready  to  contribute  his  best  furtherance. 
These  two  Italians  are  the  best  gentlemen  work- 
men that  ever  blew  crystal.  O^ie  is  allied  to 
Antonio  Miotte,  the  other  is  cousin  to  Maralao." 
Although  Sir  Robert  procured  workmen  from 
Venice,  they  were  probably  of  an  inferior  char- 
acter, and  a  space  of  fifty  years  elapsed  before 
the  English  manufactories  equalled  the  Venetian 
and  French  in  the  quality  of  their  articles. 

Evelyn,  in  his  "Diary,"  states:  "On  the 
proclamation  of  James  II.,  in  the  market-place 
of  Bromley,  by  the  sheriff"  of  Kent,  the  com- 
mander of  the  Kentish  troops,  two  of  the  King's 
trumpeters,  and  other  officers,  drank  the  King's 
health  in  a  flint  wine-glass  three  feet  tall." 

In  the  year  I67O,  the  Duke  of  Buckingham 
became  the  patron  of  the  art  in  England,  and 
greatly  improved  the  quality  and  style  of  the 
flint-glass,  by  procuring,  at  great  personal  ex- 
pense, a  number  of  Venetian  artists,  whom  he 
persuaded  to  settle  in  London.     From  this  ])e- 


REMINISCEXCES    OF    GLASS -MA  K1N(;.  ."!! 

riod.  /.  r..  al)Oiit  the  coiniiwiiceiiKMit  of  tlic  cii^li- 
teciitli  crntiiry,  the  I'^iii^lish  nlass  iiiaimfi'ctoiics, 
aided  by  the  liberal  bounties  ii;ranted  tlieni  in  ea^h 
upon  all  olass  exported  by  tbeni  or  sold  for  ex- 
port,  became    powcrfid   and   successful    rivals  of 
the  Venetian    and   tla;   I-'rencli   manufactories  in 
foreifj^n  markets.      The  clear  bounty  i^ranted  on 
each    pound   of   glass    exported    from    l^nj^Jand, 
\\lii(Ii  tbe  government  paid  to  tbe  manufactiwer, 
was  not  derived  from  any  tax  by  impost  or  ex- 
cise previously  laid,  for  all   such  were  returned 
to  the  manufacturer,  together  with    the    bounty 
referred    to  ;    thereby  lessening   the   actual   cost 
of  tbe  manufacture  fi'om  twenty-five  to  fifty  per 
cent.,   and    enabling    the    Knglish    exj)orters    to 
drive    off   all    competition    in    foreign    markets. 
This  boinity  provision  was  ann idled  during  the 
Premiership  of  Sir  Robert  Peel,  together  with 
all  the  excise  duty  on   the  home  consumption. 
In  I673  tbe  first  plate-glass  was  manufactured 
at  Lambeth,  under  a  royal  charter  ;   but  no  great 
progress  was  made  at  that  time,  and  the  works 
for  tlic  purpose  were  doubtless  very  limited.    One 
hundred  years  later,  /.  c.  177'3,  a  Company  was 
formed,  under  a  roval  charter,  called  the  '•  Gov- 
ernor and  Company  of  the   British  Cast   Plate- 
Glass   Manufactory,"   with   a   capital   of  eighty 


32  EEMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-ilAKIXG. 

shares  of  five  hundred  pounds  each,  their  works 
being  at  Ravenshead,  in  Lancashire.  These 
works  have  been  very  successfully  conducted, 
and,  according  to  a  late  writer,  are  rivalled  by 
none,  excepting  those  at  "St.  Gobain,"  in  France. 
Since  the  excise  duty  on  plate-glass  has  been  re- 
pealed, its  manufacture  has  increased  to  a  won- 
derful extent ;  the  quantity  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Crystal  Palace,  for  the  World's  Fair, 
being  probably  many  times  larger  than  that  man- 
ufactured twenty  years  since  in  the  kingdom  of 
Great  Britain  in  any  one  year. 

An  English  paper  states  that  Roger  Bacon, 
at  sixty-four  years  of  age,  was  imprisoned  ten 
years  for  making  concave  and  convex  glasses, 
and  camera-obscura  and  burning-glasses. 

It  is  to  many  persons  matter  of  great  surprise 
that  the  manufacture  of  plate-glass  has  never 
been  introduced  into  this  country.  The  whole 
process  is  a  simple  one.  The  materials  are  as 
cheap  here  as  in  England  or  in  France.  Ma- 
chinery for  the  polishing  of  the  surface  is  as 
easily  procured,  and  water-power  quite  as  abun- 
dant, as  in  either  country.  The  manufacture, 
with  the  materials  so  ready  to  the  hand,  and 
these  together  with  the  skill,  labor,  and  demand, 
increasing  every  year,   is  most  certain  to  real- 


REMIXISCEXCKS    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  38 

ize  a  fair  retnunerating  profit  and  steadv  sale. 
Bc'sst'iiiaii  lias  lately  introduced  a  new  method 
of  casting  plate-glass,  wliieh,  should  it  equal  the 
inventor's  exjiectation,  will  reduce  the  cost,  suj)er- 
scde  the  old  plan,  and  eventually,  of  course,  in- 
crease the  consutn])tion. 

CURIOSITir.S    OF    GLASS-MAKING. 

We  gather  from  the  ancient  writers  on  glass- 
making,  that  tlie  workers  in  the  article  had.  at  a 
very  early  period,  arrived  at  so  great  a  degree  of 
proficiency  and  skill  as  to  more  than  rival,  even 
before  the  period  of  the  Christian  era,  anything 
within  the  range  of  more  modern  art.  The 
numerous  specimens  of  their  workmanship,  still 
preserved  in  the  j)uhlic  institutions  of  Eur()j)e, 
and  in  the  cabinets  of  the  curious,  prove  that 
the  art  of  combining,  coloring,  gilding,  and  en- 
graving glass  was  perfected  by  the  ancients. 
Indeed,  in  fancy  coloring,  mosaic,  and  mock 
gems  or  precious  stones,  the  art  of  the  ancients 
lias  never  been  excelled.  Among  the  numerous 
specimens  it  is  remarkable  that  all  vessels  are 
round  ;  none  of  ancient  date  are  yet  found  of 
any  other  form.  And  no  sj)e('imen  of  crystal 
glass  of  ancient  date  has  yet  been  found. 

Among  tiie  numerous  antiques  yet  preserved, 
8 


34  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

the  "  Portland  Vase  "  must  hold  the  first  place. 
Pellat,  m  his  work  on  the  incrustation  of  glass, 
states  :  "  The  most  celebrated  antique  glass  vase 
is  that  which  was  during  more  than  two  centu- 
ries the  principal  ornament  of  the  Barberini 
Palace,  and  which  is  now  known  as  the  '  Port- 
land Vase.'  It  was  found  about  the  middle  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  enclosed  in  a  marble  sar- 
cophagus within  a  sepulchral  chamber,  under  the 
Monte  del  Garno,  two  and  a  half  miles  from 
Rome,  in  the  road  to  Frascati.  It  is  ornamented 
with  white  opaque  figures  in  bas-relief  upon  a 
dark  blue  transparent  ground.  The  subject  has 
not  heretofore  received  a  satisfactory  elucidation, 
but  the  design  and  more  especially  the  execution 
are  admirable.  The  whole  of  the  blue  ground, 
or  at  least  the  part  below  the  handles,  must  have 
originally  been  covered  with  white  enamel,  out 
of  which  the  figures  have  been  sculptured  in  the 
style  of  a  cameo,  with  most  astonishing  skill  and 
labor."  The  estimation  in  which  the  ancient 
specimens  of  glass  were  held,  is  demonstrated 
by  the  fact  that  the  Duchess  of  Portland  became 
the  purchaser  of  the  celebrated  vase  which  bears 
her  name,  at  a  price  exceeding  nine  thousand 
dollars,  and  bore  away  the  prize  from  numerous 
competitors.      The    late    Mr.  Wedgewood   was 


KEMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING.  35 

perniittt'd  to  take  a  mould  iVoin  the  vase,  at  a 
cost  of  tut'iity-fivc  luiiulri'd  dollars,  and  he  dis- 
posed of  many  copies,  in  liis  rich  china,  at  a 
price  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  each. 

The  next  specimen  of  importance  is  the  vase 
exhumed  at  Ponij)eii  in  1839,  which  is  now  at 
the  Museimi  at  \aj»les.  It  is  ahont  twelve 
inches  hi;L;h,  ei<^ht  inches  in  width,  and  of  the 
same  style  of  manufacture  with  the  ''Portland 
Vase,"  It  is  covered  with  figures  in  bas-relief 
raised  out  of  a  delicate  white  opa(pie  ii^lass,  over- 
laying a  transparent  dark  blue  ground,  the  figures 
being  executed  in  the  style  of  cameo  engraving. 
To  ertect  this,  the  manufacturer  must  have  pos- 
sessed the  art  of  coating  a  body  of  transparent 
blue  glass  with  an  equal  thickness  of  enamel  or 
opal-colored  glass.  The  difliculty  of  tempering 
the  two  bodies  of  glass  with  ditlerent  specific 
gravities,  in  order  that  they  may  stand  the  work 
of  the  sculjjtor,  is  well  known  by  modern  glass- 
makers.  Tliis  sj)ecimen  is  considered  by  some 
to  be  the  work  of  lloman  artists ;  by  others  it  is 
thought  to  be  of  the  Grecian  school.  As  a  work 
of  art  it  ranks  next  to  the  "  Portland  Vase,"  and 
the  fii^ures  and  foliaire,  all  elegant  and  express- 
ive,  and  representative  of  the  season  of  harvest, 
demonstrate  most  fully  the  great  artistic  merit 
of  the  designer. 


36  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 


THE    ROYAL   CLARENCE    VASE. 

William  Hone,  in  his  "Day-Book"  for  1831, 
says,  "  This  superb  glass  vase,  designed  by  John 
Gunby,  and  exhibited  at  the  Queen's  Bazaar,  Ox- 
ford Street,  London,  is  an  immense  basin  of  cop- 
per, and  its  iron  shaft  or  foot  clothed  with  two 
thousand  four  hundred  pieces  of  glass,  construct 
a  vase  fourteen  feet  high  and  twelve  feet  wide 
across  the  brim,  weighing  upwards  of  eight  tons, 
and  capable  of  holding  eight  pipes  of  wine.  Each 
piece  of  glass  is  richly  cut  with  mathematical 
precision  and  beautifully  colored;  the  colors  are 
gold,  ruby,  emerald,  &c. ;  the  colored  pieces 
being  cemented  upon  the  metal  body  and  ren- 
dered air-tight.  The  exterior  is  a  gem-like  sur- 
face of  inconceivable  splendor  ;  on  a  summer 
afternoon  it  forms  a  mass  of  brilliancy.  The 
vase,  by  illumination  of  gas  alone,  glittered  like 
diamonds  upon  melted  gold.  Mr.  Reingale  says 
the  human  mind,  in  all  of  its  extensive  range 
of  thought,  is  not  able  to  conceive  a  splendid 
glass  vase  cut  in  a  more  elaborate  and  novel 
w^ay.  At  the  first  sight  one  is  confounded  with 
astonishment,  and  knows  not  whether  what  we 
see  is  real,  or  whether  on  a  sudden  we  have  not 
been  transported  to  another  globe.     To  England 


nF-MrMSCEN-CES   OF   GLASS-MAKING.  37 

is  due  the  lioiior  of  its  produetion,  and  it  cotnes 
from  tbe  liands  of  one  of  its  minierous  (cele- 
brated artists,  Mr.  Giiiiljy.  The  precious  metal, 
g^old,  fjlitters  in  all  its  glory,  intermixed,  or 
rather  united  with  extraordinary  beauty  of  cut- 
ting and  rich  and  sj)lendid  enamelled  painting. 
One  is  at  a  loss  whether  most  to  admire  the 
shape,  the  gorgeous  brilliancy,  the  sparkle  of  the 
gems,  the  beauty  of  the  cutting,  the  enamelling, 
the  general  conception,  or  the  inmiense  bulk  of 
this  magnificent  and  astounding  work  of  art," 

The  ''Scientific  American  "  states,  "The  troup 
of  glass-blowers  at  Hope  Chapel  furnish  a  very 
interesting  evening's  entertainment  for  those  who 
are  fond  of  practical  things.  A  steam-engine, 
most  beautifully  constructed  of  dirterent  colored 
glass,  is  worked  by  steam  all  the  time.  The 
nature  of  the  material  affords  an  oj)j)()rtuiiitv  to 
see  all  the  several  parts  moving  at  once,  and  it 
is  really  a  very  curious  sight,  even  to  an  en- 
gineer, and  one  that  will  well  repay  a  visit." 

Among  the  numerous  specimens  of  ancient 
glass  now  in  the  British  Museum,  there  are 
enough  of  the  Egyptian  and  Roman  manufac- 
ture to  impress  us  with  jjrofound  respect  for  the 
art  as  pursued  by  the  earlier  workers  in  glass. 
Among  them   is    a  fragment  considered  as  the 


38  KEMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

ne  plus  ultra  of  the  chemical  and  manipulatory 
skill  of  the  ancient  workers.  It  is  described  as 
consisting  of  no  less  than  five  layers  or  strata  of 
glass,  the  interior  layer  being  of  the  usual  blue 
color,  with  green  and  red  coatings,  and  each 
strata  separated  from  and  contrasted  with  the 
others  by  layers  of  white  enamel,  skilfully  ar- 
ranged by  some  eminent  artist  of  the  Grecian 
school.  The  subject  is  a  female  reposing  upon 
a  couch,  executed  in  the  highest  style  of  art. 
It  presents  a  fine  specimen  of  gem  engraving. 
Amonof  the  articles  made  of  common  material 
are  a  few  green  vases  about  fifteen  inches  high, 
in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  and  beauti- 
ful specimens  of  workmanship.  In  the  forma- 
tion of  the  double  handles  and  curves,  these  vases 
evince  a  degree  of  skill  unattained  by  the  glass- 
blowers  of  the  present  period. 

The  cases  in  the  Egyptian  room  at  the  Mu- 
seum contain  several  necklaces,  small  figures, 
scarabsei,  and  other  objects,  which  would  appear 
to  an  ordinary  observer  to  be  composed  of  pre- 
cious stones.  They  are,  in  fact,  at  least  most 
of  them,  formed  either  of  glass  throughout  the 
whole  substance,  or  of  materials  covered  with  a 
glass  coating.  The  manufacture  of  articles  of 
this  description  presupposes  a  market  for  them  ; 


REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  39 

and  tile  desire  uj)Ou  tlie  j)art  of  tlie  less  affluent 
nieuibers  of  society  to  j)Ossess,  at  a  cheap  rate, 
oriKiineiits  in  imitation  of  their  snperiors,  neces- 
sarily leads  to  the  conclusion  that,  even  at  the 
most  ancient  of  the  periods  I  have  mentioned, 
the  Ejjvptifins  had  made  a  remarkable  advance 
in  the  customs  of  civilized  life.  The  Museum 
cases  also  exhibit  networks  of  glass  bugles,  w  ith 
which  the  wrapj)ers  of  mummies  were  often 
decorated  ;  and  there  is  abundance  of  evidence 
to  show  that  wine  was  frequently  served  at  table 
in  glass  bottles  and  cups.  Alexander  the  Great 
is  said  to  have  been  buried  at  Alexandria  in  a 
coflin  composed  wholly  of  glass. 

The  specimens  taken  from  the  tombs  at  Thebes 
are  also  numerous.  Their  rich  and  varied  colors 
are  proofs  of  the  chemical  and  inscntive  skill  of 
the  ancients.  These  specimens  embrace  not  only 
rich  gems  and  mosaic  work,  but  also  fine  exam- 
ples of  the  lachrymatory  vase.  Some  of  the 
vases  are  made  from  common  materials,  with 
very  great  skill  and  taste.  The  specimen  of 
glass  coin,  with  hierogly pineal  characters,  must 
not  be  omitted  ;  as  also  a  miniature  efligy  of  the 
Egyptian  idol  "  Isis " ;  a  sj)ecimen  of  which 
proves  that  the  Egyptians  must  have  been  ac- 
quainted with  the  art  of  pressing  hot  glass  into 


40  REMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

metallic  moulds,  an  art  which  has  been  consid- 
ered of  modern  invention.  English  glass-makers 
considered  the  patent  pillar  glass  a  modern  inven- 
tion until  a  Roman  vase  was  found  (it  is  now  to 
be  seen  in  the  Polytechnic  Institution  in  London), 
being  a  complete  specimen  of  pillar  moulding. 
Pillat  states  in  his  work  that  he  had  seen  an 
ancient  drinking  vessel  of  a  Medrecan  form,  on 
a  foot  of  considerable  substance,  nearly  entire, 
and  procured  from  Rome,  which  had  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  blown  in  an  open-and-shut 
mould,  the  rim  being  afterwards  cut  off  and 
polished.  This  is  high  authority,  and,  with 
other  evidences  that  might  be  cited,  goes  far  to 
prove  that  the  ancients  used  moulds  for  pressing, 
and  also  for  blowing  moulded  articles,  similar  to 
those  now  in  use. 

Pompeian  window-glass,  of  which  panes  have 
been  discovered  as  large  as  twenty  by  twenty- 
eight  inches,  has  proved,  on  examination,  to 
have  been  cast  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  now 
followed  in  making  plate-glass,  except  that  it 
was  not  rolled  flat,  as  now,  by  metal  cylinders, 
but  pressed  out  with  a  wooden  mallet,  so  that  its 
thickness  is  not  uniform. 

A  glass  has  been  discovered  at  Pompeii,  about 
the  size  of  a  crown  piece,  with  a  convexity,  which 


RKMINISCENCF.S    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  41 

leads  one  to  snj)j)()se  it  to  be  a  ina<ifiiifyiiiLr  !('"«• 
Now,  it  has  been  said  tliat  tlie  aiicicDts  ui'ie  not 
aware  of  tliis  power,  and  the  invention  is  i^iven 
to  Gahleo  by  some,  to  a  Dntelinuin,  in  1(>J1.  by 
others,  while  a  compound  microscope  is  attributed 
to  one  Fontana,  in  the  seventeentli  century.  But 
without  a  magnifyinrr  ghiss,  liow  did  tlie  (Jreeks 
and  Romans  work  those  fine  gems  wliich  the  hu- 
man eye  is  unable  to  read  without  the  assistance 
of  a  glass  ?  There  is  one  in-  the  Na])les  Royal 
Collection,  for  example,  the  legend  of  which  it 
is  impossible  to  make  out,  uidess  by  aj)plying  a 
magnifying  power.  The  glass  in  question,  with 
a  stone  ready  cut  and  polished  for  engraving, 
are  now  to  be  seen  in  the  Museum  of  Najdes. 
S|)ecimens  of  colored  glass,  pressed  in  beauti- 
ful forms  for  brooches,  rings,  beads,  and  similar 
ornaments,  are  numerous.  Of  those  of  Roman 
production  many  specimens  have  been  found  in 
Etiirland.  Some  of  these  were  taken  from  the 
Roman  barrows.  In  Wales  "lass  riniis  have 
been  found  ;  they  were  vulgarly  called  '•  snake 
stones,"  from  the  popular  notion  tiiat  tliey  were 
produced  by  snakes,  but  were  in  fact  rings  used 
by  the  Druids  as  a  charm  with  which  to  impose 
upon  the  superstitious.  We  find,  too,  that  the 
specific    gravity  of    the    specimens    referred    to 


42  REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING. 

rano-es  from  2034*  to  31^00,  proving  oxide  of 
lead  to  have  been  used  in  their  manufacture ; 
the  mean  gravity  of  modern  flint-glass  being 
3200. 

From  what  we  gather  from  the  foregoing 
facts,  we  are  inclined  to  the  belief  that,  in  fine 
fancy  work,  in  colors,  and  in  the  imitation  of 
gems,  the  ancient  glass-makers  excelled  the 
modern  ones.  They  were  also  acquainted  with 
the  art  of  making  and  using  moulds  for  blown 
and  pressed  glass,  and  forming  what  in  England 
is  now  called  patent  pillar  glass.  All  these  oper- 
ations, however,  were  evidently  on  a  very  limited 
scale,  their  views  being  mainly  directed  to  the 
production  of  small  but  costly  articles.  Although 
in  the  time  of  the  Roman  manufacturers  vases 
of  extra  size  were  made,  requiring  larger  cruci- 
bles and  furnaces  than  those  used  by  the  glass- 
makers  of  Tyre,  yet  it  is  evident  that  they  pro- 
duced few  articles  except  such  as  were  held 
sacred  for  sepulchral  purposes,  or  designed  for 
luxury.  And  while  they  possessed  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  use  of  moulds  to  press  and  blow 
glass  by  expansion,  it  does  not  appear  that  they 
produced  any  articles  for  domestic  use.  If  it 
were  not  thus,  some  evidences  would  be  found 
among  the  various  specimens  which  have  been 
preserved. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  43 

LEGENDS    OF    THE    GLASS-HOUSE,    ETC. 

Enough  has  been  adduced  to  sliow  tlic  pecu- 
liar estimation  in  uliirli  tlie  art  of  •^^lass-iiiakiiif];' 
was  formerly  held,  and  the  privilej^^es  conferred 
on  it  !)y  the  various  g^overnments  of  Enrojx', 

The  art  was  thus  almost  invested  with  an  air 
of  romance  ;  and  a  manufacture  commanding  so 
much  attention  on  the  j)art  of  the  governments 
was  regarded  with  a  ijreat  share  of  awe  and 
wonder. 

It  is  not  strange  that,  in  this  state  of  things, 
various  legends  should  have  hcen  identiticd  with 
the  manufacture  and  its  localities.  Among  these 
legends  was  that  which  ascribed  to  the  furnace- 
fire  the  j)ro|)erty  of  creating  the  monster  called 
the  Salamander.  It  was  believed,  too,  that  at 
certain  limes  this  wonderful  being  issued  from 
his  abode,  and,  as  oj)j)ortunitv  (»flrered,  carried 
back  some  victim  to  his  fiery  bed.  The  absence 
of  workmen,  who  sometimes  departed  secretly 
for  foreign  lands,  was  always  accounted  Wtv  by 
the  hypjithesis  that  in  some  unguarded  moment 
they  had  fallen  a  prey  to  the  Salamander.  Vis- 
itors, too,  whose  courage  coidd  sustain  them,  were 
directed  to  look  through  the  bve-Iiole  to  tlie  iute- 
rioi;  of  the  furnace,  and  no  one  failed  to  discover 


44         .     REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKIXG. 

the  monster  coiled  in  his  glowing  bed,  and  glar- 
ing with  fiery  eyes  upon  the  intruder,  much  to 
his  discomfiture,  and  effectually  as  to  his  re- 
treat. Some  gallant  knights,  armed  cap-a'pie, 
it  is  said,  dared  a  combat  with  the  fiery  dragon, 
but  always  returned  defeated  ;  the  important  fact 
being  doubtless  then  uid-cnown  or  overlooked, 
that  steel  armor,  being  a  rapid  conductor  of  heat, 
would  be  likely  to  tempt  a  more  ready  approach 
of  the  fiibled  monster. 

There  was  another  current  notion,  that  glass 
was  as  easily  rendered  malleable  as  brittle,  but 
that  the  workmen  concealed  the  art,  and  the  life 
of  any  one  attempting  the  discovery  was  surely 
forfeited.  An  ancient  writer  on  glass,  "  Isido- 
rus,"  states  that,  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius,  an 
artist,  banished  from  Rome  on  political  consid- 
erations, in  his  retirement  discovered  the  art  of 
rendering  glass  malleable ;  he  ventured  to  return 
to  Rome,  in  hopes  of  j)rocuring  a  remission  of 
his  sentence,  and  a  reward  for  his  invention  ; 
the  glass-makers,  supposing  their  interest  to  be 
at  stake,  employed  so  powerful  an  influence  with 
the  Emperor  (who  was  made  to  believe  that  the 
value  of  gold  might  be  diminished  by  the  discov- 
ery), that  he  caused  the  artist  to  be  beheaded,  and 
his  secret  died  with  him.     "  Blancourt "  relates 


RKMIXISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING.  45 

that,  as  late  as  the  time  of  Louis  XIII.,  an  in- 
ventor liavinfT  prcseiiti'd  to  Cardinal  Hicliclieu 
a  specimen  of  malleable  g^lass  of  his  own  manu- 
facture, he  was  rewarded  hy  a  sentence  of  per- 
petual imprisonment,  lest  the  "vested  interest" 
of  French  glass  manufacturers  might  be  injured 
by  the  discoveiy.  Even  at  the  present  day  the 
error  is  a  popular  one,  that  if  the  art  of  making 
glass  malleable  were  made  known,  it  would  liave 
the  effect  of  closing  nearly  all  tlie  existing  glass- 
works ;  while  the  truth  is,  that  quite  the  reverse 
would  be  the  result.  \\'henever  the  art  of  mak- 
ing glass  malleable  is  made  known,  it  will  assur- 
edly multiply  the  manufacture  to  a  tenfuld  de- 
gree. 

It  was  formerly  the  custom  for  the  \\orkmen, 
in  setting  pots  in  the  glass-furnace,  to  protect 
themselves  from  the  heat  by  dressing  in  the 
skins  of  wild  animals  from  head  to  foot  ;  to  this 
"outre"  garb  were  added  ^lass  goggle-eyes, 
and  thus  the  most  hideous-looking  monsters 
were  readily  presented  to  the  eye.  Show  was 
tlien  made  of  themselves  in  the  neighborhood, 
to  the  infinite  alarm  of  children,  old  women,  and 
others.  This  always  occurred,  with  other  mys- 
terious doings,  on  the  occasion  of  setting  the  pot, 
or.  any  other  important  movement  attendant  on 


46  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

the  business.  The  ground  was  thus  furnished 
for  very  much  of  the  horrible  diablerie  con- 
nected with  tlie  wliole  history  of  the  manufac- 
ture. 

A  belief  was  long  prevalent  that  glass  drink- 
ing vessels,  made  under  certain  astronomical 
influences,  would  certainly  fly  to  pieces  if  any 
poisonous  liquid  was  placed  in  them  ;  and  sales 
of  vessels  of  this  kind  were  made  at  enormous 
prices.  Another  idea  pervaded  the  community, 
that  vessels  of  a  certain  form,  made  in  a  pecu- 
liar state  of  the  atmosphere,  and  after  midnight, 
would  allow  a  pure  diamond  to  pass  directly 
through  the  bottom  of  the  vessel.  Various  arti- 
cles, such  as  colored  goblets,  were  thought  to 
add  to  the  flavor  of  wine,  and  to  detract  mate- 
rially from  its  intoxicating  quality. 

All  these,  and  many  other  popular  notions, 
added  greatly  to  the  mystery  and  renown  of 
glass  manufacturers.  We  close  this  number 
with  an  extract  from  "  Howell's  Familiar  Let- 
ters." "  Murano,"  says  he,  "  a  little  island 
about  one  mile  from  Venice,  is  the  place  where 
crystal  glass  is  made,  and  it  is  a  rare  sight  to 
see  whole  streets  where  on  one  side  there  are 
twenty  furnaces  at  work.  They  say  here,  that 
although  one  should  transfer  a  furnace  from  Mu- 


RF.MINISCEXCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING.  47 

rano  to  VcMiice,  or  to  atiy  of  the  little  assembled 
islaiuls  about  hero,  or  to  any  other  part  of  tlie 
eartli  beside,  to  use  tlie  same  materials,  the  same 
workmen,  tlie  same  fuel,  and  the  selfsame  in<jre- 
dients  every  way,  yet  they  cannot  make  crystal 
glass  in  that  perfection  for  beauty  and  lustre  as 
at  Murano.  Some  impute  it  to  the  circumam- 
bient air,  which  is  purified  and  attenuated  by  the 
concurrence  of  so  many  fires,  that  are  in  these 
furnaces  night  and  day  perpetually,  for  they  are 
like  the  vestal  fires,  never  going  out." 

There  is  no  manufacturing  business  carried  on 
by  man  combining  so  many  inherent  contingen- 
cies, as  that  of  the  working  of  flint  glass.  There 
is  none  demaTuling  more  untiring  vigilance  on  the 
part  of  the  daily  superintendent,  or  requiring  so 
much  ability  and  interest  in  the  work.  Unlike 
all  other  branches  of  labor,  it  is  carried  on  by 
night  and  day,  is  governed  by  no  motive  power 
connected  with  steam  or  water,  and  has  no  anal- 
ogy to  the  production  of  labor  by  looms  or  ma- 
chinery. 

The  crude  material  of  earth  being  used,  each 
portion  requires  careful  refining  from  natural  im- 
purities, and  when  compounded,  being  dejjendcnt 
upon  combustion  in  the  furnace  for  its  conq)lc- 
tion,  (wliicli  combustion  is  effected  by  change  of 


48  REMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

the  atmosphere  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  di- 
rect, but  exercises  a  power  to  affect  the  heat  of 
the  furnace  acting"  for  good  or  for  evil,)  much  re- 
sponsibiUty  rests  upon  the  furnace-tenders  ;  con- 
stant care  on  their  part  is  required.  A  slight 
neglect  affects  the  quality  of  the  glass.  A  check 
upon  the  furnace  in  founding-time  will  spoil 
every  pot  of  metal  for  the  best  work.  Over- 
heat, too,  will  destroy  the  pots,  and  the  entire 
weekly  melt  will  be  launched  into  the  cave,  at  a 
loss  of  several  thousand  dollars.  Even  with  the 
utmost  care,  a  rush  of  air  will  not  uncommonly 
pass  through  the  furnace  and  destroy  one  or 
more  pots  in  a  minute's  space.  And  when  the 
furnace  has  yielded  a  full  melt,  and  is  ready  for 
work,  many  evils  are  at  hand,  and  among  the 
ever-jarring  materials  of  a  glass-house,  some  one 
becomes  adverse  to  a  full  week's  work  ;  vigi- 
lance is  not  always  the  price  of  success. 

Again  :  no  branch  of  mechanical  labor  pos- 
sesses more  of  attraction  for  the  eye  of  the  stran- 
ger or  the  curious,  than  is  to  be  witnessed  in  a 
glass-house  in  full  play.  The  crowded  and  bee- 
like movements  of  the  workmen,  with  irons  and 
hot  metal,  yet  each,  like  the  spheres  of  his  own 
orbit,  presents  a  scene  apparently  of  inextricable 
confusion. 


KEMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKIXG.  49 

It  is  a  (liHicult  ta^k  to  (lescril)e  the  curious 
and  iiitt'K'stin^'  operations  of  the  glass-blowers; 
for  the  present  we  may  say,  tliat  there  is  no 
other  eniplovinent  so  largely  dependent  upon 
steadiiu'NS  of  nerve  and  eaini  self-j)ossession. 
The  jiowi'r  of  manipulation  is  the  ii'siilt  of  long 
experience.  I'lie  business  of  the  glass-blower  is 
literally  at  his  '*  Hngers'  ends.  "  It  is  most  inter- 
esting to  witness  the  progress  of  his  labor,  from 
the  lir.^t  gathering  of  the  liipiid  metal  from  the 
pot,  and  the  passing  it  from  hand  to  hand,  until 
the  slia|)eless  and  aj)parently  uncontrollalile  mass 
is  converted  into  some  elegant  article.  Equally 
interesting  is  it  to  witness  with  what  dexterity 
lie  coimnan<ls,  and  w  ith  \\  hat  entire  ease  he  con- 
trols the  melted  mass ;  the  care,  also,  with  wliicli 
lie  swings  it  with  force  just  enough  to  give  it 
the  desired  length,  joins  it  to  other  pieces,  or 
with  sjiears  cuts  it  with  the;  same  ease  as  j)aper. 
The  whole  jirocess,  indeed,  is  one  filled  with  the 
most  fascinating  interest  and  j)o\ver. 

Ol  all  the  articles  of  glass  manufacture,  none 
command  a  greater  degree  of  attention  than  the 
article  called  the  salver,  and  no  other  develops 
so  j)leasing  and  surj)rising  ellects  in  its  j)rocesses. 
When  seen  for  the  lirst  time,  the  change  from  a 
shapeless  mass,  the  force  with  which  it  Hies  open 


50  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

at  the  end  of  the  process,  changing  in  an  instant 
into  a  perfect  article,  all  combine  to  astonish  and 
delight  the  beholder. 

Mystery  is  as  much  a  characteristic  of  the  art 
now  as  at  any  former  period  ;  but  it  is  a  mys- 
tery unallied  to  superstition,  —  a  mystery  whose 
interpreter  is  science,  —  a  mystery  which,  in- 
stead of  repelling  the  curious  and  frightening  the 
ignorant,  now  invites  the  inquiring  and  delights 
the  unlearned. 

By  the  following,  we  find  that  the  romance 
of  glass-making  has  not  yet  died  out.  We  co])y 
from  the  "Paris  Annual  of  Scientific  Discovery," 
for  1 863,  the  following  :  — 

"  It  would  appear  there  is  yet  some  secret  in 
glass-making  unknown  to  the  world  at  large, 
as  the  manufactory  of  Mr.  Daguet,  of  Soletere, 
France,  is  known  to  be  in  possession  of  an  un- 
divulged  method,  which  enables  them  to  make 
glass  of  a  purity  which  all  other  manufacturers 
are  not  able  to  rival.  A  railway,  recently  con- 
structed and  running  past  Mr.  Daguet's  works, 
has  so  affected  the  glass-pots,  by  the  tremor  occa- 
sioned by  the  locomotives  and  trains,  that  work 
has  had  to  be  suspended.  For  this  Mr.  Daguet 
brought  an  action,  during  the  past  year,  against 
the  railway  company  for  damages  ;  but  when  the 


RKMINISCEXCES    OF    GLASS-MAKIXG.  51 

case  caiiie  (ui  for  tiial.  tlie  court  lield  tluit  it 
would  !)('  iiii|)os>il)l('  to  assess  damaiics  iiidcss  it 
wcrt'  made  co;;iiizant  of  the  secret,  and  its  ])e<Mi- 
iiiarv  advaiita<j;e  to  Mr.  Dag'iK^t.  Tlie  latter  de- 
clined iinpartiiit]^  this,  and  the  court  refused  to 
proceed  further." 

We  have  shown  that  ^lass,  while  it  has  con- 
trihuted  so  larfjely  to  the  material  well-heiiig 
of  mau,  lias  also  administered  profusely  to  the 
pleasure  of  woman.  The  belle  enjoys  the  re- 
flection of  her  beauty  in  its  silvered  face.  —  a 
pleasure  peculiarly  her  own,  as  we  all  know,  — 
and  if  we  may  believe  poesy,  the  mermaid,  her 
rival  of  the  coral  ijroves  in  the  fathon)less  ocean, 
looks  with  equal  satisfaction  uj)on  her  did)ious 
form,  as  seen  in  her  hand-ndrror.  And  what 
would  Cinderella  be  to  the  nursery  without  her 
glass  slij)})er  ! 

But  leaving-  poetry  to  its  own  prolific  devices, 
where  would  science  find  itself  without  the  aid 
of  glass  ?  The  astronomer's  and  cheuiist  s  voli- 
tion would  be  gone.  Suns,  planets,  and  stars 
would  have  no  exact  existence  to  us,  and  their 
laws  be  unknown.  The  seaman  would  blunder 
his  way  on  the  ocean,  lucky  if  he  guessed  aright 
his  course,  and  cursing  his  '"  stars, "  when  he  did 
not.      In  short,  glass  is  the  indisj)ensable  serxant 


52  REMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

of  science  in  almost  all  its  forms,  and  where  it 
does  not  discover  it  protects.  Its  loss  would 
throw  back  the  world  into  antediluvian  igno- 
rance, not  to  mention  the  countless  eyes  it  would 
deprive  of  sight,  of  their  intellectual  food,  and 
freedom  of  way. 

MANUFACTURE  OF  GLASS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES, 
ETC. 

The  last  number  of  our  series  of  articles  upon 
this  highly  interesting-  subject  —  interesting  both 
as  concerns  the  various  features  of  the  manufac- 
ture, and  as  indicative  of  the  progress  of  the  art 
in  the  successive  ages  of  the  world's  history  — 
closed  the  sketch  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the 
manufacture  of  flint  g^lass.  Our  sketch  has  cov- 
ered  the  ground  so  far  as  time  would  allow,  from 
the  introduction  of  the  art  into  Egypt,  through 
its  transfer  to  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  from  thence, 
in  its  order,  to  Rome,  Venice,  France,  and  finally 
into  England. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  this  progress,  like 
that  of  many  others,  is  almost  identical,  for  a 
time  at  least,  with  the  gradual  extension  of  con- 
quest, and  especially  with  this,  as  connected  with 
the  extension  of  the  Roman  sway. 

We  now  reach  the  period  of  its  introduction 


iii:Mixisci:Nci:s  of  glass-making.  53 

into  the  Western  continent,  and  propose  pivinn;' 
an  outline  of  its  firadual  exten^ion  and  cliarac- 
teri^tics  in  our  own  land. 

Our  opportunity  of  research  as  t<)  the  jx-riod 
of  the  introduction  of  "his^  manufacture  into  tliis 
country,  induce  the  helief  that  the  first  efVort  was 
made  some  years  hefore  the  American  Revolu- 
tion. 

Tliis  attemj)t  was  hy  a  company  of  Germans, 
who  selected  the  town  of  Quincy,  in  this  State, 
as  the  place  in  which  to  estahlish  the  manufac- 
ture. 

We  are  accpiainted  with  little  heyond  the  fact, 
that  such  an  attempt  was  made  ;  their  success,  or 
the  leniith  of  time  during-  which  they  carried  on 
the  work,  are  matters  ecjually  beyond  our  knowl- 
edge. Some  specimens  of  their  articles  still  ex- 
ist, showing-  mainlv  that  they  engagetl  in  the 
manufacture  of  what  is  called  black  metal  only  ; 
these  also  are  of  the  rudest  style  of  the  art. 

The  place  in  Quincy  in  which  their  manufac- 
tory was  established  acquired  the  name  liom 
them  of  "  Germantown,"  whicii  name  it  retains 
to  the  present  time.  The  site  of  their  manufac- 
tory is  nttw  occupied,  we  believe,  by  the  institu- 
tion called  ''The  Sailors'  Snug   Harbor." 

A    Connecticut    pajx-r    states    a   patent    was 


54  REMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

granted  by  that  State,  in  17^7?  for  twenty- 
years,  to  Thomas  Darlhig,  for  the  exclusive 
privilege  of  making  glass.  This  Act  appears 
to  have  become  void,  because  of  the  patentee 
not  fulfilling  its  conditions,  and  at  various  times 
after  this  special  grants  were  made  to  others  to 
introduce  the  manufacture  of  glass. 

The  Historical  Society  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
has  in  their  cabinet  "  a  glass  bottle,  the  first  one 
manufactured  at  a  glass-works  started,  in  1734^, 
near  the  site  of  the  present  glass-works  in  State 
Street.  This  enterprise,  we  are  informed,  was 
brought  to  an  untimely  end  for  want  of  satid, — 
that  is,  the  right  kind  of  sand."  From  this  we 
infer,  it  must  be  a  flint-glass  bottle,  as  the  sand 
suitable  for  green  or  black  glass  abounds  on 
their  shore. 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary 
struggle,  we  think  about  the  year  178'5?  the 
late  Robert  Hewes,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Bos- 
ton, made,  probably,  the  first  attempt  to  estab- 
lish a  window-glass  manufactory  on  this  conti- 
nent. This  manufactory  was  modelled  upon  the 
German  system.  Mr.  Hewes  carried  his  works 
to  the  fuel,  and  erected  his  factory  in  the  then 
forest  of  New  Hampshire.  The  writer  well 
remembers,  when  a  boy,    hearing   Mr.    Hewes 


REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  55 

relate,  tliat  wlu'ii  biiililiii^  his  ^lass-works  tiie 
tracks  of  bears  were  fre(]iieiitly  seen  in  tiie 
inorniii«j  in  and  ar(»un(l  liis  works. 

From  the  best  inlorniation  in  our  possession, 
we  tiiink  tliat  to  Mr.  Robert  Ilewes  must  be 
conceded  the  first  attempt  to  establish  window- 
glass  making  in  tiie  I  nitcd  States,  or  in  the 
western  world.  Tiie  aim  of  Mr.  Ilewes  was 
doubtless  to  sup|)ly  tiie  most  imjKUtant  and 
necessary  article  made  of  glass,  and  called  for 
by  the  immediate  wants  of  the  people,  viz.,  win- 
dow-glass. It  ended,  however,  in  disappoint- 
ment to  tile  ])rojector,  probably  from  tiie  fre- 
quent error  of  carrvinii"  sucii  works  into  the 
interior,  to  the  vicinity  of  fuel,  or  from  lack  of 
skill  on  the  part  of  the  workmen. 

This  attempt  was  followed,  about  the  year 
17^7,  by  Messrs.  Wlialley,  Ilunnewell,  and 
their  associates,  and  by  tiie  workmen  Plumi)ack 
and  Cooper,  who  erected  a  large  factory  in  l^ssex 
Street,  Boston  (where  Edinboro'  Street  now  is), 
for  the  purpose  of  making  the  Crown  \\  indow 
Glass.  Tliis  was  witliout  success,  until  a  (ier- 
mau,  of  the  name  of  Lint,  arrived  in  the  year 
18()c3,  and  from  tiiis  j)eriod  there  was  great  suc- 
cess in  tiie  mamifactiire.  for  tiie  State  of  Massa- 
chusetts, to  encourage  tlie   iiiaiinfacture  of  win- 


56  EEMINISCEXCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

do^A'-glass,  paid  the  proprietors  a  bounty  on  every 
table  of  glass  made  by  them.  This  was  done  to 
counteract  the  effect  of  the  bounty  paid  by  Eng- 
land on  the  exportation  of  glass  from  that  king- 
dom. The  State  bounty  had  the  effect  to  en- 
courage the  proprietors  and  sustain  their  efforts, 
so  that  by  perseverance  many  difficulties  were 
overcome,  and  a  well-earned  reputation  supported 
for  the  strength  and  clearness  of  their  glass  ;  a 
glass  superior  to  the  imported,  and  well  known 
throughout  the  United  States  as  "  Boston  Win- 
dow-Glass." This  reputation  they  steadily  sus- 
tained, until  they  made  glass  in  their  new  works 
at  South  Boston,  in  the  year  1822.  Their  char- 
ter from  the  State  was  highly  favorable  to  the 
stockholders ;  among  the  privileges  it  granted 
an  exclusive  right  to  manufacture  for  fifteen 
years,  and  to  manufacture  glass  without  their 
consent  subjected  the  offender  to  a  fine  of  five 
hundred  dollars  for  each  offence.  Their  capital 
was  exempt  from  taxation  for  five  years,  and  the 
workmen  exempted  from  military  duty. 

From  the  founding  of  this  establishment  may 
be  dated  the  founding  of  all  the  Crown  and 
Cylinder,  Window  and  Flint  Glass -W^orks  in 
the  Atlantic  States.  Indeed,  this  may  be  con- 
sidered the  fruitful  parent  tree  of  the  many 
branches  now  so  widely  spread  abroad. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  57 

Tlio  \V(in(l<Mfiil  iiivstcry  attarlied  to  tlic  art  of 
g^lass-iiiakin*^  sociiis  to  liaxc  followed  its  iiitro- 
diK-tion  into  this  (•oiintrv.  The  glass-lilowcr  was 
considert'd  a  iiiaijician,  and  myriads  \isit('(l  the 
ncwlv-crcctcd  works,  and  coniing-  away  with  a 
souK'wliat  in)prov('d  idea  of  an  unnientionahle 
place  and  its  occupants  ;  and  the  man  wlio  could 
conjjjound  the  materials  to  make  glass  was  looked 
upon  as  an  alchemist  who  could  transmute  base 
metal  into  pure  gold. 

The  fame  of  the  works  spread  into  a  neigh- 
boring- State,  and  in  1810  or  1811  a  company 
was  formed  in  Utica,  to  establish  glass-works  in 
that  ])lace,  and  (piite  a  number  of  workmen  in 
the  Essex  Street  Works  were  induced  to  leave 
their  emj)lov  and  break  their  indentures  from  the 
ofler  of  increased  wages  ;  while,  however,  on 
their  Nvay,  and  just  before  they  reached  the 
State  line,  they,  with  the  agent,  were  arrested, 
brought  back,  and  expensive  lawsuits  incurred. 
The  Utica  Works  were  abandoned,  and,  we  be- 
lieve, never  revived. 

Subsequently  another  company  was  formed  in 
New  \'ork,  being  influenced  by  a  fallacious  view 
of  the  silicious  sand.  This  comj)any  erected  their 
works  at  Sandy  Lake,  a  locality  abounding  both 
in  silex  and  fuel.      A  few  years'  trial  convinced 


58  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-3IAKING. 

the  proprietors  tlie  place  was  ill  chosen,  and, 
after  the  experience  of  heavy  losses,  it  was 
abandoned. 

A  Doctor  Adams,  of  Richmond,  Virginia, 
made  large  offers  of  increased  wages  to  the 
workmen  of  the  Essex  Street  Works,  who  were 
then  induced  to  abandon  their  place  of  work 
and  violate  their  indentures.  They  succeeded  in 
reaching  Richmond  to  try  their  fortune  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Doctor.  A  few  years'  ex- 
perience convinced  them  of  the  fallacy  of  in- 
creased pay  ;  for,  after  very  heavy  losses,  the 
works  were  abandoned  and  the  workmen  thrown 
out  of  employ.  The  proprietors  of  the  Essex 
Street  Works  had  engaged  workmen  in  the 
mean  time,  at  a  very  heavy  expense,  from 
England — a  most  difficult  task,  for  the  English 
government  made  it  a  penal  offence  to  entice 
workmen  to  leave  the  kingdom  at   that  period. 

In  1811  the  proprietors  of  the  Essex  Street 
Works  erected  large  and  improved  works  on  the 
shore  at  South  Boston.  To  supply  the  workmen 
enticed  away,  and  also  to  meet  the  wants  of  their 
factory,  an  agent  was  sent  to  England  to  procure 
a  set  of  glass- workers.  By  the  time  they  readied 
this  country  the  war  with  England  broke  out, 
and   the   enterprise   was   thus   defeated ;    fur   it 


KF.MINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  59 

bccaiiu*  (lilViciilt  to  procure  fuel  and  the  various 
means  for  carrying  on  tlie  Essex  Stri'et  \\ Orks. 

The  niakinoc  of  \vin(lo\v-g;lass  in  lioston  led  to 
the  introduction  of  the  manufacture  of  flint-i>las8, 
arisin*^  from  the  excess  of  \vin(io\v-<'lass  blowers, 
brou<i;ht  into  the  country  by  the  enterprise  of  the 
Boston  Window-Glass  Com])anv  ;  many  among 
the  numhcr  from  l"^nrope  hatl  work«'d  more  or 
less  in  Hint-glass  works  (no  unusual  thing  in 
England),  for  a  good  flint-glass  blower,  with 
manual  strength,  can  fill  the  part  of  a  window- 
glass  blower,  and  exceedingly  well. 

Among  the  number  was  a  iNIr.  Tliomas 
Caines,  now  living  at  South  Boston,  having 
retired  from  the  business  with  an  indej)en(lent 
property,  the  honest  fruit  of  his  skill  and  in- 
dustry ;  he  may  he  truly  considered  as  the  father 
of  the  flint-glass  business  in  the  Atlantic  States. 

Mr.  Caines  proved  comjietent  to  the  task,  not 
only  as  a  first-rate  workman,  but  j)ossessed  the 
art  of  mixing"  the  materials  and  beinjj  able  to 
sustain  all  the  othi'r  departments  appertaining 
to  the  business.  He  prevailed  upon  the  jiro- 
prietors  to  erect  a  small  six-|)ot  flint  furnace  in 
part  of  their  large  unoccuj)ied  manufactory  in 
South  Boston. 

At  that  time  the  articles  of  flint-glass  imported 


60  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

by  tlio  oartlieiiware  trade  were  confined  to  a  very- 
few  articles,  such  as  Geniian  straw  tumblers, 
cruets,  salts,  and  plain  decanters  of  cheap  fibric ; 
of  the  finer  articles,  to  cut  finger  tumblers,  sham 
diamond  cut  dishes,  and  Kodney  decanters  ;  a 
quality  of  glass  and  cutting  that  would  not  at 
the  present  day  connnand  one-fifth  of  their  then 
cost. 

War  having  interrupted  the  importation  of 
glass,  tlie  manufactory  supplied  the  then  limited 
demand,  and  gave  full  employ  for  their  factory. 

Contemporaneous  with  the  South  Boston  en- 
terprise, a  company  was  formed  and  incorporated 
under  the  title  of  the  Porcelain  and  Glass  Manu- 
facturing Company.  Their  factory  was  located 
at  East  (yambridge,  then  called  (^raigie's  Point. 
Their  china  department  was  directed  by  a  Mr. 
Bruitan,  but  for  want  of  ])roper  materials  it 
proved  an  entire  failure.  Their  glass-works 
were  under  the  direction  of  a  Mr.  Thompson, 
who  built  a  small  six-pot  furnace,  similar  in  size 
to  the  one  at  South  Boston.  Thompson  brought 
out  a  set  of  hands,  at  a  heavy  expense?,  to  work 
the  furnace,  but  the  result  jiroved  he  was  in  no 
way  (pialified  for  the  task,  nor  possessed  of  the 
least  practical  skill  or  knowledge  of  the  business, 
and  of  course  proving  an  entire  failure.      The 


HKMINISCF.XCr.S  OF  GI.ASS-MAKIXC.  01 

nttiMnj)t  to  nuike  jwrcelaiii  and  ^lass  was  abaii- 
(loiicil  l»v  the  c'oinpanv. 

Jii  ISl.O,  hdiMc  of  tlic  workiiicii  Icti  llic  South 
Boston  Factory  and  hired  of  the  Poicclaiii  ( 'oni- 
j»an\'  their  six-j)ot  riirnace,  and  coninieneed  tlie 
makino-  of  fhnt-«ilass  nnih'r  the  firm  of  I^Miniet, 
Fisher  tV  Fhiwers.  1  liey  succeech'd  for  a  time 
very  well,  and  turned  out  i^lass  suitahle  for  tin; 
trade  ;  hut  want  of  «'oMeert  (d"  action  nrexcnted 
a  successful  icsidt.  and  (hey  dissohcd  without 
loss.  The  Porcelain  ( "onijiany,  discouraged  hy 
so  many  failures,  a<.;reed  to  wind  up  their  con- 
cern, and  in  Novendjcr,  IS  17,  they  disposed  of 
their  entire  |)ro|)erty  at  j)uhlic  auction. 

As  one  manufactory  dies  out  only  to  "ive 
place  to  another,  so  the  present  New  I'.noland 
Glass  Company  was  formed,  and  became  the 
purciiasers  of  the  Porcel.iin  Works.  That  com- 
pany, from  ISI7,  to  the  pre>eiit  time,  haxc  pui"- 
sued  the  husiness  with  signal  success  ;  he;4iMnini>; 
with  the  small  ca|)ital  of  forty  thousand  dollars, 
they  have  from  time  to  time  increased  it,  until  it 
amounts  at  the  jncsent  time  to  half  a  million  of 
dollars.  Tiiey  commenced  husiness  with  a  small 
six-pot  furnace,  holdinj^  seven  hundred  jxiunds  to 
each  j)ot ;  employed,  all  told,  about  forty  hands, 
and  the  yearly  product  did  not  exceed  forty  thou- 


62  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

sand  dollars.  They  now  run  five  furnaces,  aver- 
aging ten  pots  to  each,  capacity  of  two  thousand 
pounds  to  each  pot.  They  employ  over  five 
hundred  men  and  boys,  and  the  yearly  ])roduct 
is  not  less  than  five  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

In  1820  some  of  their  workmen  left  them, 
built  a  factory  in  New  York  City,  and  conducted 
their  business  under  the  firm  of  Fisher  &  Giller- 
land.  In  1823  Gillerland  dissolved  the  connec- 
tion and  built,  on  his  own  account,  a  manufactory 
in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  which  he  conducts  at  this 
period  with  great  skill  and  success,  and  is  con- 
sidered the  best  metal  mixer  in  the  United  States. 

In  1825  a  Flint-Glass  Manufactory  was  estab- 
lished by  individual  enterprise  in  Sandwich,  Mass. 
Ground  was  broke  in  April,  dwellings  for  the 
workmen  built,  and  manufactory  completed  ;  and 
on  the  4th  day  of  July,  1825,  they  commenced 
blowing  glass  —  three  months  from  first  break- 
ing ground.  In  the  following  year  it  was  pur- 
chased of  the  proprietor,  a  company  formed,  and 
incorporated  under  the  title  of  Boston  and  Sand- 
wich Glass  Company.  Like  their  predecessors, 
they  commenced  in  a  small  way  ;  beginning  with 
an  eight-pot  furnace,  each  holding  eight  hundred 
pounds.  The  weekly  melts  at  that  period  did 
not   exceed   seven  thousand   pounds,  and  yearly 


REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  C3 

product  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  ;  nlvinor 
employment  to  from  sixtv  to  seventy  hands. 
From  time  to  time,  as  their  husiness  warranted, 
tliev  increased  their  capital  until  it  reached  the 
present  sum  of  four  Imndred  tlioiisaiid  dollars. 
Their  weekly  melts  have  increased  from  seven 
thousand  pounds  to  much  over  one  hundred 
thousand  pounds  ;  their  hands  employed  from 
seventy  to  over  five  hundred  ;  their  one  furnace 
of  ei<rht  pots  to  four  furnaces  of  ten  ])ots  ;  and 
yearly  product  from  seventy-five  thousand  dollars 
to  six  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

In  18^20  another  secession  of  workmen  from 
the  New  England  Glass  Company  took  place,  to 
embark  on  their  own  account  their  savings  of 
manv  vears  in  the  doubtful  enterj)rise  of  estab- 
lishing flint-glass  works  in  Kensington,  Pliiladel- 
phia,  under  the  title  of  the  Union  Flint-(ilass 
Company.  The  proprietors,  being  all  workmen, 
were  enthusiastic  in  the  project,  hapj)y  in  the  be- 
lief that  thev  could  carry  it  on  successfidly,  work 
when  convenient,  and  enjoy  much  leisure.  All 
was  then  to  them  sunshine.  Ere  long  they  real- 
ized the  many  inherent  evils  attendant  on  flint- 
glass  works  ;  the  demon  of  discord  ajipeared 
among  them,  and  they  discovered,  when  too  latj, 
that  thev  had  left  a  place  of  comfort  and  ease 


64  EEMIXISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

for  a  doubtful  enterprise.  Death  thinned  their 
ranks,  and  the  works,  after  passing  into  other 
hands  for  a  short  trial,  have  years  since  ceased 
to  exist. 

From  1S20  to  184<0  very  many  attempts  were 
made,  by  corporations  and  firms,  to  establish  the 
manufacture  of  flint-glass  in  the  Atlantic  States, 
but  almost  with  entire  failure.  The  parent  tree, 
the  old  South  Boston  concern,  foiled  ;  the  works 
were  revived  from  time  to  time  by  at  least  five 
different  concerns,  and  all  ended  in  failure  ;  and 
for  years  the  works  remained  closed,  till  the 
present  occupant,  jNlr.  Patrick  Slane,  hired  the 
premises,  and  by  his  enterprise  and  great  indus- 
try has  greatly  enlarged  the  works,  and  is  now 
carrying  on  a  large  and  active  business.  In 
his  factory  we  learn  the  old  system  among  the 
operatives  he  does  not  allow  to  have  a  foothold, 
and  the  individual  industry  of  his  hands  is  not 
cramped  or  limited  by  the  oppressive  system  of 
the  old  school  operative. 

As  a  record  of  the  past  and  a  reference  for 
the  future,  we  find,  in  reviewing  the  various 
attempts  to  establish  flint-glass  works  in  the  At- 
lantic States,  that  it  would  not  be  just  to  place 
the  names  of  those  identified  with  them  before 
the  reader  ;  for  many  were  deluded  by  the  pro- 


rkminisci:nci:s  of  glass-making.  C5 

jcctors  with  promises  (tf  tlie  most  flattcrinnf  suc- 
cess, hut  reahzed  only  (Hsappoiiitmeiit  and  loss. 

In  enumerating'-  all  the  concerns,  companies, 
and  corporations  that  lia\e  hecn  en^'a^ed  in  the 
manufacture  of  (lint-glass  in  the  Atlantic  States, 
we  lind  the  nundjer  to  be  forty-two  ;  of  which 
ninnher  two  concerns  have  retired,  and  ten  are 
now  in  oj)eration,  viz.,  two  at  East  Cand)ri(lge, 
three  at  South  Boston,  one  at  Sandwich,  three 
near  New  York  City,  and  one  at  Philadelphia  ; 
leaving  two  concerns  wj)0  retired  with  pntjierty, 
and  twenty-eight  out  of  the  forty-two  concerns 
entire  failures,  involving  the  parties  interested  in 
lieavy  loss,  the  fate  of  the  existing  ten  to  be  de- 
termined by  future  events. 

Before  closing,  we  may  allude  to  the  rej)eated 
failure  of  permanently  establishing  window-  and 
bottle-glass  Morks  in  this  vicinity.  The  primary 
cause  has  been  in  the  construction  of  the  furnaces, 
no  improvement  for  centuries  having  taken  j)lace, 
but  the  old  defective  plan  being  adhered  to  by 
workmen  from  Europe.  A  casual  observer  must 
see  they  are  defective,  and  consume  double  the 
quantity  of  fuel  really  required  for  the  weekly 
melts.  The  rate  of  wages  for  experienced  work- 
men, about  threefold  over  the  German  rates,  lias 
heretofore   checked   success,   but  at   the  present 

5 


66  REMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

time   is    more   than   compensated  by  machinery 
and  materials. 

The  manufacture  of  plate-glass  offers  a  profit- 
able and  inviting-  field  that  should  be  improved. 
The  consumption  in  this  country  is  large  and 
increasing  yearly.  Materials  are  cheaper  than 
in  Europe,  and  as  the  most  essential  part  is  per- 
formed by  machinery  and  motive  power,  this  will 
more  than  equalize  the  extra  rate  of  wages  that 
may  be  taxed  upon  a  new  undertaking. 

We  have  recorded  the  rise  and  progress  of 
the  Glass  Manufiicture  in  the  Atlantic  States, 
showing-  its  course  from  its  introduction  in  1812 
to  the  present  period,  i.  e.  1852,  covering  a  space 
of  time  of  just  forty  years. 

We  now  turn  to  the  introduction  of  the  manu- 
facture in  the  Western  States,  for  the  account  of 
which  we  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Thomas  Bakewell, 
of  Pittsburg,  Penn.  Mr.  Bakewell  advises  us, 
that,  prior  to  the  year  1808,  glass-works  were 
established  by  a  company  of  Germans,  near 
Fredericktown,  Maryland,  under  the  direct  con- 
trol of  a  Mr.  Amelong,  for  the  purpose  of  man- 
ufacturing glass  in  all  its  branches.  We  have 
not  ascertained  the  precise  year  in  which  Mr. 
Amelong  commenced  the  manufacture  ;  but  pre- 
vious  to   the  year  1808   the  establishment  was 


REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  C7 

broken  uj),  and  tlio  workmen  dispersed.  Most 
of  them  reached  Pitt^h^r^•,  Penn.,  and  a  jiart  of 
them  were  en«ifafj;ed  by  Col.  James  O'liara,  in 
the  estal)lishment  of  the  first  \vin(h»\v-2^1ass  fac- 
tory in  the  Western  States.  Tlie  same  faet()ry 
is  in  operation  to  the  present  (hiy,  and  others  of 
the  Freih'rirktuwn  company  were  instruiiieiital 
ill  introducini^  the  same  hranch  of  the  glass  hnsi- 
iiess  into  Pennsylvania,  at  New  (reneva,  upon 
the  property  of  the  late  Albert  Gallatin.  Others 
of  the  number,  j)reviouslv  mentioned,  established 
themselves  in  Baltimore,  and  in  all  of  the  places 
noticed.  Some  of  their  descendants  still  continue 
the  business. 

There  are  at  this  time  ten  window-glass  fac- 
tories in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsburg,  and  fifteen  in 
the  river  towns,  —  in  all  twenty-five  works, — 
nianufactming  over  !2!20,0()0  hoxes  of  w  iiidow- 
glass  of  100  feet  each  annually. 

We  now  proceed  to  examine  a  more  interest- 
ing toj)ic,  viz.,  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  fiint- 
glass  business  in  the  West.  We  have  shown  that 
most  of  the  workmen,  on  the  breaking  up  of  the 
glass-works  in  Fredericktown,  migrated  to  Pitts- 
burg, attracted  there,  doubtless,  by  the  coal  mines. 
Some  of  these  persons  were  successful  in  estah- 
lishing  the  manufacture  of  window-glass,  while 


68  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

a  portion  of  the  workmen,  in  the  spring  of  the 
year  1808,  attempted  to  establish  a  flint-glass 
manufactory  upon  part  of  the  premises  now  oc- 
cupied by  Bakewell  &  Pears,  extensive  flint-glass 
manufacturers.  The  persons  engaged  in  the 
enterprise,  however,  were  deficient,  both  in  the 
requisite  knowledge  and  capital ;  the  effort  proved 
abortive,  the  parties  quarrelled,  and  the  establish- 
ment, in  an  incomplete  condition,  was  ofi'ered  for 
sale. 

In  the  Auo^ust  following-,  a  Mr.  Bakewell  and 
his  friend,  Mr.  Page,  being  on  a  visit  to  Pitts- 
burg, were  induced  to  purchase  the  concern, 
under  the  representation  of  one  of  the  owners 
that  he  possessed  the  information  and  skill  requi- 
site for  the  proper  pursuit  of  the  business,  hav- 
ing been  engaged  (as  he  stated)  in  the  business 
before  he  left  England.  Mr.  Bakewell  had 
scarcely  entered  upon  his  new  pursuit  before  he 
discovered  that  the  qualification  of  the  person 
alluded  to  had  been  entirely  misrepresented,  and 
that  to  succeed  he  must  rely  upon  his  own  ex- 
perience and  diligence  in  the  attainment  of  the 
peculiar  knowledge  indispensable  to  the  success 
of  his  undertaking.  In  this  the  fortune  of  his 
family  and  friend  were,  of  course,  deeply  in- 
volved, and  he  therefore  set  himself  to  the  ac- 


REMINISCEKCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING.  G9 

coninlisliinoiit  (tf  liis  t.isk  most  maiifullv.  Tliose 
oiilv  wlio  have  practical  t'Xj)tM-ieiice  of  th«  cliar- 
actcr  of  the  undertaking-  can  fiillv  appreciate  tlie 
various  and  almost  insurmountalile  dillicultics  to 
be  encountered  and  overcome  before  success  could 
be  attained. 

His  first  difTicultv  arose  from  want  of  skill 
in  the  workmen,  and  the  inferiority  of  the  mate- 
rials employed  in  the  manufacture  of  flint-n;lass. 
So  little  were  the  resources  of  the  West  devel- 
oped at  that  day,  that  Mr.  Bukewell  liad  to  pro- 
cure his  pearlash  and  red  lead  from  Philadelphia, 
the  pot  clay  from  BurlinjTton,  N.  J., —  the  whole 
beinor  transported  over  the  mountains  in  wacrons 
to  Pittshurij.  The  only  sand  then  known  was 
the  vellow  kind,  ohtained  in  the  vicinity,  and  used 
at  this  time  only  for  window-ijlass.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Bakewell  ohtained  the  saltpetre  needed 
from  the  caves  of  Kentucky,  in  a  crude  state, 
which  article  he  was  ohlic^ed  to  purifv.  until  the 
period  of  1  SI.),  when  the  re(jiiiied  supply  was 
ohtained  from  Calcutta. 

The  few  wt)rkmen  then  in  the  country  were 
not  well  instructed  in  the  makiufi;  of  u^lass  arti- 
cles, after  tlie  glass  was  prepared,  to  which  was 
added  the  great  evil  (which  has  too  usually  pre- 
vailed among  the  imported  workmen)  of  a  deter- 


70  REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING." 

mination  to  prevent  the  instruction  of  appren- 
tices by  the  most  arbitrary  and  unjust  means, 
and,  so  far  as  it  was  in  their  power,  endeavoring 
to  prevent  competition,  by  not  only  controlling 
the  hours  of  work,  but  the  quantity  of  manufac- 
ture ;  in  fc\ct,  doing  the  least  amount  of  work 
possible  for  the  largest  amount  of  pay  that  could 
be  coerced  from  the  proprietors.  Experience, 
however,  showed  Mr.  Bakewell  how  to  con- 
struct his  furnaces,  or,  at  least,  to  improve 
on  the  old ;  and  he  discovered  better  materials 
in  his  immediate  vicinity,  and  succeeded  in 
making  purer  glass  than  he  had  before  made.  ^^ 
The  oppressive  acts  of  the  workmen,  in  the 
mean  time,  compelled  Mr.  Bakewell  to  resort 
to  England  for  new  workmen,  at  a  time  when 
the  prohibitory  laws  there  in  regard  to  mechan- 
ics leaving-  England  were  in  full  force,  —  an 
undertaking  requiring  great  secrecy,  and  at  the 
risk  of  long  imprisonment  if  detected. 

Such  were  some  of  the  embarrassing  circum- 
stances with  which  Mr.  Bakewell  had  to  contend. 
Of  the  full  force  and  extent  of  these,  those,  only 
can  conceive  who  have  been  under  like  necessi- 
ties and  circumstances.  But  a  brighter  day  was 
dawning  upon  his  exertions,  and  at  length  his 
arduous  and   untiring  labor  was  crowned  with 


nF.MINI.SCF.NCF.S    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  71 

tlu'  desired  Miccess.  (lood  clay  was  iiidcincd 
from  Ilollaiul,  and  purer  materials  discovered  ; 
competent  workmen  were  eitiier  imported  or 
instructe<l,  and  the  Hint-glass  manufaetnre  was 
firmly  estaMislied  at  Pittsburg-.  I'rom  tins  first 
estahlislnnent  tliere  originjjted,  in  a  few  years, 
many  other  <ilass-u<»iks,  erected  chieHv  hv  per- 
sons wlio  had  acquired  the  art  with  ^Ir.  IJake- 
well,  or  h.id  obtained  the  requisite  means  while 
in  his  employ.  We  may  well  consider  Mr. 
Bakewell  as  the  father  of  the  flint-glass  busi- 
ness in  this  country  ;  for  he  commenced  the 
work  in  1808,  and  by  untiring  ellbrts  and  in- 
dustry brought  it  to  a  successful  issue. 

For  tiie  skill,  judgment,  labor,  and  persever- 
ance devoted  by  him  to  the  j)rogtess  of  the  art, 
he  truly  merits  the  "Artium  Magister"  so  often 
bestowed  on  those  least  worthy  of  its  dignity 
and  honor.  Theory  in  Science  too  often  re- 
ceives the  meed  which  practical  j)rogress  in  its 
walks  so  richly  deserves.  Mr.  Bakewell  lived 
to  realize  an  ample  fortune  as  the  fruit  of  his 
industry,  and  his  sons  still  carry  on  a  profitable 
business  on  the  premises  originally  occuj)ie(l  by 
their  father.  By  father  and  sons  this  has  cov- 
ered a  s])ace  of  f>rty-four  years,  a  length  of 
time  rarely  finding  a  business  in  the  sanie  family 


72  KEMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING. 

in  America.  May  the  factory  be  always  occu- 
pietl  and  conducted  by  a  Bakewell. 

The  furnace  built  by  Mr.  Bakewell  in  1808 
contained  only  six  pots,  twenty  inches  in  diame- 
ter, which  were  replaced  in  1810  by  a  ten-pot 
furnace  of  a  larger  capacity,  and  in  181 4  an- 
other furnace  was  added  to  the  works,  of  like 
capacity. 

In  1809  another  concern  sprung  up,  and 
carried  on  the  business  on  a  limited  scale  ; 
in  1812  another  succeeded,  making  three  con- 
cerns carrying  on  the  business;  and  in  1810 
another  company  was  formed,  but  failed  in  a 
few  years. 

There  are  now  in  Pittsburg  nine  concerns 
manufacturing  flint-glass,  running  thirteen  fur- 
naces and  one  hundred  and  live  pots.  There  are 
also  three  concerns  at  Wheeling,  running  five 
furnaces  and  forty-five  pots.  There  are  also  at 
Wellsville,  Steubenville,  and  Cincinnati  one  or 
two  factories  each,  besides  several  manufactories 
for  green  glass  jars,  and  one  for  the  making 
of  porter  bottles ;  one  also  for  mineral-water 
bottles. 

The  first  glass-cutting  works  were  opened  in 
1809  by  a  German  of  the  name  of  Echbaum, 
who  had  settled   in  Pittsburg  some  years  pre- 


RF.MIXISCEXCF.S    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  73 

viously.  Mr.  Bakewrll  also  carried  on  ijlass- 
cnttiii<jf,  and  among-  liis  workmen  was  an  I'^iiQ^- 
lishman  who  had  served  as  a  soldier  in  Canada, 
l>ein<T  taken  as  a  jirisoner  in  one  of  the  hattles 
on  the  Lakes  in  IS  13.  He  proved  not  only  a 
good  iihiss-cutter,  but  an  exceUent  mechanic, 
in  various  branches  ;  but  still  a  dissipated  and 
idle  man,  and  of  course  of  but  little  service  in 
the  manufactory. 

One  of  the  amusing  incidents  connected  with 
the  mar)ufaetnre  occurred  when  General  Clark 
(then  Ciovernor  of  Missouri)  took  a  party  of 
Osage  Chiefs  to  Washinjjton.  On  their  way 
they  visited  Bakewell's  Glass-Works,  and  their 
attention  was  greatly  excited  ;  they  watched  with 
great  curiosity  the  process  of  making  various 
articles,  and  the  mode  of  affixing  the  handle  to 
a  glass  pitcher  quite  disturbed  the  equanimity  of 
the  head  chief,  who,  after  shaking  hands  with 
the  workmen,  said,  throiiiih  the  interpreter, 
"That  man  must  have  had  some  intercourse 
with  the  Great  Spirit." 

The  following,  from  Sii;ma  s  pen,  shows  a 
decanter-stopper  can  be  made  to  point  a  moral 
or  illustrate  a  satire  :  — "  Mr.  Flint,  in  his  "  Ten 
Years  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,'  tells  a 
pleasant  story   of    an    Indian  who  told   him  he 


74  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

had  hig  diamond^  for  whidi  he  had  given  trader 
much  heaver.  A  time  was  appointed,  and  Mr. 
Flint  visited  the  wigwam  to  examine  the  dia- 
mond, which,  after  considerable  mystery,  was 
brought  forth  from  its  place  of  concealment,  and 
proved  to  be  a  broken  glass  decanter-stopper. 
When  an  individual,  eminent  for  his  talents  and 
learning,  has  been  justly  decorated  with  the  de- 
gree of  LL.D.,  and  finds  the  same  mark  of  dis- 
tinction bestowed  upon  others  who  are  remark- 
able for  neither,  he  cannot  fail  to  perceive  an 
amusing  resemblance  between  his  diploma  and 
Kunkerpot's  diamond." 

IMITATION    OF    MUSLIN-GLASS. 

Here  is  a  simple  and  ingenious  means  of 
giving  to  glass  the  appearance  of  delicately 
wrought  muslin  :  — 

The  process,  which  comes  to  us  from  Ger- 
many, consists  in  spreading  very  smoothly  a 
piece  of  lace  or  tulle,  and  covering  it  with 
some  fatty  substance  by  means  of  a  printer's 
roller.  The  glass  being  carefully  cleaned,  the 
cloth  is  laid  upon  it  so  as  to  leave  in  fat  a 
print  on  the  surface  of  all  the  threads  of  the 
fabric. 

The  glass  is  then  exposed  about  five  minutes 


RF.MIXISCKXCES   OK   GLASS-MAKING.  75 

to  the  vapors  of  liydrofluorlc  acid,  wliicli  roii«T)i. 
ens  tlie  spaces  l)etuc('ii  the  lines,  and  leaves  the 
polish  on  the  surface  under  the  f;it. 

A  "lass  thus  ])repared  hecnnies  like  a  M'il, 
protecting"  from  exterior  indiscretion  persons 
wlio,  from  their  apartment,  desire  to  luck  com- 
modiously  outside. 

We  recall  here  that  the  manipulation  of  hy- 
droflu(»ric  acid  requires  great  prudence.  This 
acid  is  so  corrosive  that  a  drop  of  its  vapor  con- 
densed produces  upon  the  hand  a  lively  inflam- 
mation, and  may  even  lead  to  o-raver  accidfiits. 
Breathing  the  emanations  should  therefore  he 
avoided  with  the  greatest  care. 

No  art  has  heen  characterized,  in  the  course 
of  its  ])rogress,  by  so  much  of  wonder  and 
undefined  belief  in  the  supernatural,  as  that  of 
the  manufacture  of  glass  in  its  various  modes 
and  articles. 

The  old  glass-works  in  Wellsburg,  ^'a.,  \^"ere 
pulled  down  a  few  years  since  with  a  tremen- 
dous <'rash.  Tlu'V  \Nere  erected  in  ISIG.  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  establishments  at 
Pittsburg,  were  the  oldest  west  of  the  n)oun- 
tains.  The  beginning  of  their  career  was  |)ros- 
perous,    but    the    last    owners    have     in\aiiably 


76  REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING. 

sunk  money  in  carrying  on  the  works,  and  to 
prevent  further  losses  they  have  now  heen  finally 
destroyed,  and  the  ground  turned  into  a  potato- 
patch. 

[From  the  "  Scientific  American."] 
ETCHING    AND    ORNAMENTING    GLASS. 

The  hardest  glass  may  be  etched  and  frosted 
with  a  peculiar  liquid  acid,  and  also  with  this 
acid  in  the  condition  of  vapor.  When  powdered 
fluor  spar  is  heated  with  concentrated  sulphuric 
acid  in  a  platinum  or  a  lead  retort,  and  connected 
with  a  refrigerator  by  a  tube  of  lead,  a  very 
volatile,  colorless  liquid  is  obtained,  which  emits 
copious  white  and  suffocating  fumes.  This  is 
hydrofluoric  acid,  a  dilute  solution  of  which  at- 
tacks glass  with  avidity,  while  neither  sulphuric, 
nitric,  nor  muriatic  acid  has  the  least  effect  upon 
it.  In  a  diluted  state  it  is  employed  for  glass 
etching,  for  which  purpose  it  is  kept  in  a  lead 
vessel,  because  it  has  very  little  affinity  for  this 
metal.  The  vapor  of  this  acid  is  also  used  for 
the  same  purpose.  The  glass  to  be  operated 
upon  is  first  coated  with  a  ground  of  wax,  and 
the  design  to  be  etched  is  then  traced  through 
the   wax   with   a  sharp  instrument.     In  a  shal- 


RF.Mixisci:\ci:s  of  glass-making.  77 

low  li'.ul  l)ai>iii  some  powdered  fluor  spar  is  then 
j)lac('d.  and  a  siifTR-icnt  (jiiaiitity  <»r  suljdmiie  acid 
poured  iij)oii  it  to  convert  it  into  a  thin  jiasto. 
The  ghiss  to  ho  etclied  is  now  j)laced  in  the 
basin,  to  which  a  gentle  heat  is  ajtplied,  when 
the  vapor  of  the  acid  is  disenga<;ed  and  attacks 
the  traced  lines  iVoni  which  the  wax  has  l)een 
removed.  The  operation  is  conijjleted  in  a  tew 
nnnutes,  the  glass  is  removed,  and  the  wax 
cleaned  oil  with  warm  oil  of  turpentine.  All 
those  parts  which  have  remained  covered  with 
the  wax  are  now  clear  as  before,  while  the 
other  parts  drawn  by  lines  to  represent  figures 
have  a  frosted  appearance.  Any  ])erson  can 
produce  figures  on  glass  with  this  acid,  but, 
for  reasons  before  stated,  it  is  dangerous  to 
use. 

In  October,  18o9,  a  patent  was  granted  to 
Jan\es  Napier,  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  for  a  very 
simj)le  method  of  ornamenting  glass  with  fluoric 
acid.  Instead  of  drawing  patterns  and  figures 
on  the  glass  with  the  use  of  varnish  and  a  graver 
to  prepare  the  glass  for  etching,  the  glass  is  pre- 
pared by  simply  transferring  pictures  fronj  j)rints, 
which  can  be  performed  by  almost  any  pei-;on. 
The  method  is,  to  take  a  'print,  lithograj)h,  or 
picture    made   with    printer's    iid\,   and   fi,\   the 


78  REMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

printed  surface  to  the  glass  by  any  ordinary 
paste  made  from  starch.  All  the  air  must  be 
carefully  excluded  from  between  the  print  and 
glass.  When  perfectly  dry,  liquid  hydrofluoric 
acid  about  the  specific  gravity  of  1.14  is  applied 
for  about  three  minutes,  when  it  is  washed  in 
water  to  remove  the  paper  and  the  acid,  and  the 
figure  of  the  print  is  then  found  upon  the  glass. 
The  printed  portion  of  the  paper  may  also  be 
cut  in  outline  and  pasted  on  the  glass,  then 
transferred.  Glass  that  is  "  flashed "  on  the 
surface  with  another  color  may  be  treated  in 
this  manner,  when  a  portion  of  the  flashing  or 
surface  will  be  removed,  and  the  picture  will 
remain  in  color. 

COLORED    GLASS. 

The  distinguished  French  chemist,  M.  Che- 
vreul,  who  has  devoted  so  much  attention  to  the 
subject  of  color,  has  lately  published  a  memoir 
on  painted  windows,  in  which  there  are  many 
points  which  deserve  the  attention  of  artists  and 
others  who  are  interested  in  the  manufacture  of 
colored  glass.  It  has  often  been  much  noticed 
that  old  stained  glass  windows  have  a  much 
richer  effect  than  modern  ones,  and  M.  Chevreul, 


REMIXISCEN'CES    OF   GLASS-MA  KING.  79 

speaking  of  this  siijK'iidi  itv.  attrilmtes  it  to  what 
nuKk'rns  reyard  as  (Icft'cls.  In  the  (irst  placo, 
iiuic'h  of  the  ancit'iit  glass  is  of  iiiu'<jiial  tliick- 
iiess,  and  si>  pi'i'sonts  convex  and  coneaNf  jtarts, 
wliirh  refract  the  lii^ht  dilVerentK'  and  produce  an 
agreeable  elfect.  In  the  next  j)hice  the  old  col- 
ored glass  is  not  a  colmless  gla^s,  to  which  has 
been  added  the  particnlar  coloring  material,  sncli 
as  protoxide  of  cobalt,  &c.  Old  glass  contjuns 
a  good  (\vn\  of  oxide  of  ii'on.  which  colors  it 
green,  and  to  this  njnst  he  attributed  the  peculiar 
effects  of  anticpie  glass,  colored  by  cobalt  and 
manganese.  M.  Chevreul  appears  to  think  that 
modern  stained  glass  is  too  transparent  to  j)ro- 
duce  the  best  effects.  M.  Kegnault,  the  chemist, 
has  recommended  that  all  this  kind  of  stained 
glass  should  be  cast,  to  avoid  the  monotonous 
effect  of  j)lain  surfaces  on  the  light  ;  and  also 
that  foreign  substances  should  he  mixed  with  the 
glass  to  diminish  its  transparency. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  color  with 
ruby  or  other  colors  gas  shades,  so  as  to  throw 
on  surrounding  objects  the  color  of  the  glass  ;  but 
in  no  case  has  the  ray  of  light  passing  through 
colored  glass,  to  refract  the  shade,  been  suc- 
cessful. 

But    when    a    ray   of   solar    light    is    passed 


80  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

through  a  colorless  prism,  it  is  refracted,  and 
forms,  when  thrown  on  a  wall  or  screen,  a  broad 
band  of  colored  light,  —  red,  orange,  YflJt)w, 
green,  blue,  indigo,  and  violet, — which  is  known 
as  the  prismatic  or  solar  spectrum. 

ARTIFICIAL    DIAMONDS. 

We  find  a  report  in  French  journals  that  M. 
Gannal  has  succeeded  in  obtaining  crystals^  hav- 
ing all  the  property  of  the  diamond,  through 
the  mutual  reaction  of  phosphorus  water  and 
bisulphide  of  carbon  upon  each  other  for  the 
space  of  fifteen  weeks. 

Tlie  crystals  were  found  to  be  so  hard  that 
no  file  would  act  upon  them.  They  cut  glass 
like  ordinary  diauionds,  and  scratched  the  hard- 
est steel.  In  brilliancy  and  transparency  they 
were  in  no  way  inferior  to  the  best  jewels,  and 
some  possessed  a  lustre  surpassing  that  of  most 
real  stones. 

For  reference  we  record  the  cost  of  materials 
for  flint-glass,  say  in  ISiO  to  1845,  as  fol- 
lows :  — 


Litlierage,  or  red  lead,  cost      . 

C-^  cts.  per  lb. 

Pearlash,          .         .        .         . 

6      "         " 

Nitre,      .         .        .         .         . 

G      "        " 

Silex, 

0^    "         " 

REMINISCENCF.S   OF   GLASS-MAKING.  81 

Present  price,  ISGl*:  — 

Red  lead,        ....  21  cts.  per  lb. 

Peailasli,  .  .  ,  .  17    "  " 

Nitre, G    "  " 

Silex,       .         •         .         .  .  OJ"         " 

We  now  refer  to  the  early  introduction  of  tlie 
manufacture  of  glass  into  Enfrland.  The  I'^ncr- 
lish  iiianufacturers.  like  ourselves,  had  to  struoole 
with  tlie  vari(jus  evils  incident  to  the  iiitrothiction 
of  a  new  art.  I-'rance  and  (rerinanv.  from  (heir 
lonir  exj)erience  in  the  making-  of  i;lass,  were 
enahlcd  for  a  loni;:  time  to  undersell  the  EnoHsh 
manufacturer  in  his  own  market. 

To  foster  and  j)rotect  this  hranch  of  national 
industry,  the  English  government  imposed  a 
heavy  tax  on  all  foreign  glass  imported  into 
their  dominions.  This  measure  secured  to  the 
English  manufacturer  the  entire  trade,  hoth 
with  their  colonies  and  with  the  home  market, 
thus  ffivinof  such  snhstantial  encouragement  to 
the  enterprise,  that,  in  a  few  years,  the  mami- 
facture  was  so  much  increased  as  to  admit  of 
exportation. 

To  stimulate  the  exportation  of  various  arti- 
cles of  English  production,  the  government,  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  granted 
bounties,  from  time  to  time,  on  linens,  printed 
6 


82  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

cottons,  glass,  &C.,  &c..  Until  the  bounty  on 
glass  was  allowed,  the  exportation  of  glass  from 
England  to  foreign  countries  was  very  limited  ; 
for  the  French  and  Germans,  as  has  before  been 
stated,  for  various  reasons  could  undersell  the 
English  ;  but  the  government  bounty  changed 
the  aspect  of  affairs,  and  shortly  the  English 
manufacturers  not  only  competed  with  the  Ger- 
mans and  French  for  the  foreign  market,  but 
actually  excluded  them  from  any  participation, — 
the  government  bounty  being  equal  to  one  half 
the  actual  cost  of  the  glass  exported. 

An  Act  of  Parliament  levied  on  flint-glass 
an  excise  duty  of  ninety-eight  shillings  sterling 
on  all  glass  made  in  England,  which  excise  was 
paid  by  the  manufacturer,  being  about  twenty- 
five  cents  per  pound  weight,  without  regard  to 
quality  ;  but  if  such  glass  was  exported,  the  ex- 
cise officer  repaid  the  tax  which  it  was  presumed 
the  manufacturers  had  paid,  and  a  clear  bounty 
of  twenty-one  shillings  sterling  was  paid  by  the 
government  to  the  exporter  on  each  hundred 
weight  of  flint-glass  shipped  from  England,  being 
equal  to  five  cents  per  pound.  Under  such  en- 
couragement the  export  increased  from  year  to 
year  to  a  very  great  extent,  so  that  the  excise 
duty   of   ninety-eight    shillings   sterling   on   the 


REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  83 

amount  consumed  at  lioiiu'  did  not  equal  the 
amount  paid  out  in  I)(>unty.  In  the  year  lSl'-2, 
fifty-second  George  III.,  an  Act  was  j)assed  re- 
ducinoc  tlie  excise  duty  to  forty-nine  shillings, 
and  the  exj)ort  hounty  to  ten  shillings  sixpence. 
In  IS15  the  Act  was  renewed,  and  again  in 
1816.  In  18^25,  sixth  George  IV.  chaj).  117, 
an  Act  was  passed  revising  the  former  as  to  the 
mode  of  levying  the  excise  duty  and  hounty,  so 
as  to  j)revent  frauds  on  the  revenue,  which  had 
hitherto  heen  practised  to  a  very  great  extent. 
This  act  remained  in  force  until  the  Premiership 
of  Sir  Robert  Peel,  when  both  excise  and  hounty 
were  abrogated,  and  the  English  manufacture 
stands  on  the  same  footing  in  foreio^n  countries 
as  those  of  other  nations.  By  the  protecting 
liand  of  the  English  government  the  flint-glass 
manufactories  multiplied  with  very  great  rapid- 
ity, underselling  all  other  nations,  and  not  only 
rivalling,  but  far  excelHug  them  in  the  beauty, 
brilliancy,  and  density  of  the  articles  manufac- 
tured. 

The  greatest  stimulus  ever  given  to  the  glass 
manufacture  of  Enoland  was  the  abolition  of  the 
dutv  on  it  in  181-5.  That  abolition  has  pro- 
duced a  somewhat  paradoxicid  result.  W  hile 
the  quantity  of  glass  made  has  increased  in  the 


84  EEMIXISCEXCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING. 

proportion  of  three  to  one,  the  number  of  manu- 
facturing firms  has  diminished  in  the  proportion 
of  one   to   two.     In   ISM  there  were  fourteen 
companies  engaged  in  the  manufacture.    In  1846 
and  1847,  following  the  repeal  of  the  duty,  the 
number  had  increased  to  twenty-four.    The  glass 
trade,  after  the  removal  of  the  heavy  burden  im- 
posed upon  it,  seemed  to  offer  a  fair  opening  for 
money  seeking   investment.      The    demand   for 
glass  vras  so  great  that  the  manufacturers  were 
in  despair.     Glass-houses  sprang  up  like  mush- 
rooms.    Joint-stock  companies  were  established 
to  satisfy  the  universal  craving  for  window-panes. 
And   what   was   the   result  1     Of  the  four-and- 
twenty   companies    existing  in   the   year    184<7, 
there  were  left,  in  1854^,  but  ten.     At  this  time 
there   are  but  seven  in  the  whole  United  King- 
dom.    Two  established  in   Ireland  have  ceased 
to  exist.     In  Scotland,  the  Dumbarton  Works, 
once  famous,  were  closed  in  1831,  by  the  death 
of  one  of  the  partners,  afterwards  reopened,  and 
again  closed.     The  seven  now  existing  are  all 
English. 

The  manufacture  of  the  finer  kinds  of  glass 
was  introduced  into  England  not  many  years  ago 
from  Germany,  and  German  operatives  were 
employed  at  very  high  wages.      We  understand 


REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  85 

tliat  tlie  English  glass  is  now  superior  to  the 
Ciernian. 

'I'here  is  only  one  plate-jrlass  factory  in  the 
United  States.  It  was  commenced  only  two 
years  ago  near  New  York,  and  we  nnderstand 
that  it  lias  met  with  encouraging-  success. 

Soon  after  the  introduction  of  the  husiness 
into  this  country,  a  very  great  improvement  in 
the  mode  of  manufacture  was  introduced.  Pal- 
lat.  in  his  admirahle  work  on  glass,  alludes  to 
the  American  invention  in  oidy  a  few  words,  and 
passes  it  hy  as  of  hut  slight  importance  ;  hut  it 
has  hrought  ahout  a  very  great  change,  and  is 
destined  to  exert  a  still  greater  ;  in  fact,  it  has 
revolutionized  the  whole  svstem  of  the  flint-jjlass 
manufa('ture,  simply  hy  moidd  machines  for  the 
purpose  of  pressing  glass  into  any  form.  It  is 
well  known  that  ohiss  in  its  melted  state  is 
not  in  the  least  degree  malleahlc.  l)Mt  its  ductility 
is  next  to  that  of  gold,  and  hy  steadv  pressure  it 
can  he  forced  into  anv  shap<'.  The  writer  has  in 
his  possession  the  first  tumhler  made  hy  machin- 
ery in  this  or  any  other  country.  Great  improve- 
ment has  of  course  taken  place  in  the  machin- 
ery, insonmch  that  articles  now  turned  out  hy 
this  process  so  closely  resemhle  cut-glass  that 
the  practised  eye  only  can  detect  the  dilVerence. 


86  REMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

Still,  the  entire  field  of  improvement  is  not  oc- 
cupied, and  greater  advances  will  yet  be  made. 
The  tendency,  in  this  particular,  has  been  so  to 
reduce  the  cost  of  glass  that  it  has  multiplied 
the  consumption  at  least  tenfold ;  and  there  can 
be  no  reasonable  doubt  but  that,  at  this  period,  a 
much  larger  quantity  of  flint-glass  is  made  in 
this  country  than  in  England.  The  materials 
composing  glass  are  all  of  native  production,  and 
may  be  considered  as  from  the  earth.  The  pig" 
lead  used  is  all  obtained  from  the  mines  in  the 
Western  States  ;  ashes  from  various  sources  in 
other  States ;  and  silex  is  also  indigenous.  The 
materials  consumed  yearly,  in  the  manufacture, 
are  something  near  the  following  estimate  :  — 

Coal,  for  fuel,     ....  48,000  tons; 

Silex, 6,500     " 

Ash,  Nitre,  &c.,          .         .        .  2,500     " 

Lead, 3,800     " 

for  the  flint  manufacture.  How  much  more  is 
consumed  by  the  window-glass  manufacturers, 
the  writer  is  without  data  to  determine. 

We  have  recorded  the  progress  of  improve- 
ment in  the  manufacture  of  glass,  and  now, 
relevant  to  the  subject,  we  propose  to  examine 
the  various  improvements  in  working  furnaces 
and  glass-houses.      To  this  end  we  present  to 


RFMINISCKNCKS    OF    GLASS-MAKFXG.  87 

our  readers  the  drawing-  of  a  fiirnnce  for  flint- 
glass,^  with  tlie  interior  of  a  glass-house  as  used 
by  the  Venetians,  at  the  highest  point  of  the  art, 
in  the  sixteenth  century. 

The  workmen  in  glass  will  see,  that,  as  com- 
pared with  the  factories  of  the  present  day,  the 
Venetians  in  their  instrumentalities  were  sub- 
jected to  many  difficulties,  —  they  were  op- 
pressed hv  the  furnace  smoke,  and  in  no  way 
protected  from  the  heat  of  the  furnace,  or  ena- 
bled to  breathe  fresh  atmosj)herIc  air  ;  in  fact, 
the  impression  prevailed  in  those  days  that  the 
external  air,  drawn  into  the  glass-house,  was 
detrimental  to  the  business,  and  therefore  it 
was  most  cautiously  guarded  against. 

Tlie  drawing-  is  taken  from  an  ancient  work 
on  glass,  and  although  limited  in  the  view, 
shows  the  general  j)lan.  The  factory  wall  was 
conical,  and  rose  like  a  large  chimney,  with  a 
few  windows  for  the  admission  of  li<jht.  Ex- 
posed  to  the  he.'it  of  the  summer  sun  of  Venice, 
and  of  the  furnace  within,  neither  the  comfort 
nor  health  of  the  workman  was  secured.  The 
construction  of  the  annealing  department  shows 
two  tiers  of  pans,  the  use  of  which  must  have 
been    attended    with     great     loss    of    materials. 

^  See  drawing  No.  1,  at  end  of  book. 


88  REJIINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKIXG. 

Yet,  with  all  the  perceptible  inconvenience,  no 
material  chang-e  in  construction  was  made  for 
centuries.  The  same  plan  was  adopted  in 
France  and  England,  and  it  is  only  within  the 
present  century  that  any  change  has  taken 
place  in  the  latter  country.  In  fact,  in  the 
year  18£7  ^^  Englishman  erected  a  glass 
foctory  on  the  same  plan  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  which,  from  its  defective  construc- 
tion for  this  climate,  soon  passed  out  of  use. 

The  Germans,  however,  departed  from  the 
Venetian  plan  so  far  as  to  place  the  furnace  in  a 
large  and  well-ventilated  building,  but  without 
a  furnace-cone  to  carry  off"  the  heat  and  smoke  ; 
still  a  decided  improvement  was  thus  effected 
over  the  system  in  use  in  France  and  England. 

The  j)lan  referred  to  shows  to  the  practical 
workmen  of  the  present  day  the  excessive  waste 
of  fuel  arising  from  the  construction  of  the  fur- 
nace ;  for  the  same  expenditure  of  fuel  in  the 
American  furnace  would  melt  ten  times  the  ma 
terial  produced  from  the  Venetian. 

It  is  admitted  that  the  American  glass-house 
is  far  in  advance  of  the  European  ones  at  the 
present  day,  in  the  particulars  of  capacity,  venti- 
lation, comfort  of  the  workmen,  and  economy  in 
fuel.    An  impression  is  very  prevalent  that  glass- 


KKMINISCENCES   OF  GI.ASS-MAKIXG.  89 

making  is  :m  uiiliciiltliv  occupatiDii.  It  may 
have  boen  thus  in  funiier  times  ;  but,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  no  mcc'liauical  em|)loyment  is  more 
healthy.  Dissipated  as  glass-makers  have  been 
in  former  days,  and  careless  of  tiieir  lu'iilth  as 
they  are  at  j)resent,  no  better  evidence  can  be 
adduced  to  prove  the  (jcncralbi  healthy  character 
of  the  employment  than  the  fact  that  the  (ilass 
Manufacturings  Company  in  Sandw  ich.  aveiniiini^- 
in  their  employment  three  huii(hed  hands,  had 
not  a  man  sick  through  tin;  influence  of  the  em- 
ployment, or  one  die  in  their  connection,  for  the 
space  of  twenty  years. 

Drawing-  No.  "-Z^  represents  the  j)lan  adopted 
in  the  French  flint-jilass  furnaces.  These  at  one 
period  were  worked  by  noblemen  only,  —  the 
labor  of  the  furnace-tender  jmd  taker-in  being 
performed  by  s^frvants,  as  before  stated.  The 
apparel  and  general  style;  of  dress,  as  indicated 
by  the  drawing,  shows  that  more  attention  was 
paid  to  the  fashion  of  the  day  than  to  comfort. 
The  f(»rrn  of  the  furnace  being  similar  to  the 
Venetian  shows  it  to  ha\e  been  sidject  to  the 
same  nnnecessary  waste  of  fuel  ;  but  it  would 
appear  that  the  French  manufacturers  had  taken 
one  step  towards  improvement,  in  using  the  waste 
fuel  of  the  furnace  to  anneal   their  glass.     The 

i  Sec  dniwing  No.  2,  at  end  of  book. 


90  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

Venetians  had  a  separate  furnace  to  anneal  their 
glass,  supported  by  independent  fires,  as  used  at 
the  present  day. 

The  place  marked  D,  over  the  crown  of  the 
furnace,  is  the  door  of  the  annealing  oven  ;  but 
the  drawing  is  so  imperfect  that  the  artist  does 
not  show  by  what  flues  the  smoke  escapes,  or  in 
what  way  the  glass  was  drawn  from  the  anneal- 
ing oven  ;  for  only  the  external  view  of  the  fur- 
nace is  given.    But  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  the 
plan  was  the  same  as  still  exists  in  France,  and 
as  adopted  by  a  French  company  now  working 
a  flint-glass  factory  in  Williamsburg,  near  New 
York  ;    viz.,  —  the   taker-in,   so   called,  mounts 
by  steps  to  door  D  and   places  the  articles  in 
iron  pans,  which  are  slowly  drawn  over  the  fur- 
nace and  through  another  door  on  the  opposite 
side,  to  allow  the   glass  vessels  to  cool  gradu- 
ally.    The  use  of  this  plan  is  sustained  by  writers 
who  describe  the  tools  used  to  carry  the  glass 
articles  into  the  upper  oven   to  cool.     In  con- 
nection with  the  drawings  of  the  ancient  glass- 
furnaces,  we  deem  it  proper  to  give  a  drawing 
of  glass-makers'  tools  ^  in  use  at  that  period,  so 
that  the  glass-makers  of  the   present   day  may 
observe  with  what  instruments  their  noble  pred- 
ecessors in  the  art  performed  their  labor. 
1  See  drawing  No.  3,  at  end  of  book. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING.  91 

In  many  of  these  tools  we  perceive  tlie  same 
general  cliaracters  as  mark  those  iti  use  now.  In 
some,  improvements  have  been  effected ;  while 
others  aie  (jiiite  obsolete.  It  is  quite  curious 
to  observe  the  etymology  of  many  of  the  tech- 
nical terms  of  the  art  in  use  at  the  j)resent  day. 
The  name  of  the  present  jjolislicd  iron  table,  i.  c. 
the  MAUVF.R,  is  derived  from  the  practice  of  the 
Italians  and  French  in  using  slabs  of  polished 
marble.  The  iron  now  called  they)//;?///,  from  the 
Italian  pontcfjlo.  The  tool  now  called  percdlm^^ 
from  the  word  porccllo.  In  fact,  nearly  all  the 
technical  terms  in  the  glass  manufacture,  aj)per- 
taining  to  the  tool  or  furnace,  are  derived  from 
the  Italian.  By  referring  to  the  drawing,  we 
see  that  the  tool  marked  A  is  the  bluw-iron, 
that  marked  B  the  pnnty-iron.  Their  character 
plainly  indicates  that  the  work  made  on  them 
must  have  been  confined  to  small  or  light  arti- 
cles. C,  the  scissors,  D,  the  shears,  correspond 
to  those  used  at  the  present  day.  The  tool 
marked  E  was  used  to  finish  part  of  their  work. 
F  and  G  were  thi'ir  large  and  small  ladles, — 
the  small  used  to  take  ort  tiie  then  called  alkalic 
salt,  showing  that  they  were  troubled  with  an 
excess  of  this  in  their  time.  The  shovel,  then 
called   stockle,    marked    II,    was    used   to   carry 


92  REMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

glass  articles  to  the  annealing  oven,  forks  not 
being  then  in  use.  The  crooked  iron  I  was 
used  to  stir  up  the  metal  in  the  pots.  The  tool 
L  was  used  to  form  or  hold  large  articles,  their 
punty-iron  not  having  sufficient  strength.  The 
tool  M  was  used  to  carry  flat  articles  to  the  an- 
nealing- ovens.  The  tool  N  was  used  in  refininof 
their  alkalic  salts,  and  served  to  take  oJ3"  the 
salt  as  crystallized  in  course  of  its  manufacture. 
The  workmen  of  the  present  day  will  see  that, 
as  hefore  remarked,  many  tools  are  not  altered 
in  form,  while  in  others  there  is  a  decided  im- 
provement, —  in  none  more  than  in  the  tool  E. 
Tool  D  is  exactly  like  those  now  in  use ;  but 
many  new  tools  have  been  introduced  since  that 
period,  rendering  most  of  the  old  tools  useless. 
Improvements  in  the  form  of  glass-furnaces, 
construction  of  the  glass-house,  tools,  &c,,  have 
been  very  gradual,  —  more  so,  in  fact,  than  in 
almost  any  other  art,  when  we  consider  that  a 
period  of  about  four  hundred  years  has  elapsed 
since  tlie  furnaces,  tools,  &c.,  herein  referred  to, 
were  in  use,  and  that  they  remained  very  much 
the  same  until  the  present  century.  It  is  indeed 
no  undue  arrogance  of  claim  to  say  that  the 
very  many  improvements  in  furnaces,  working 
machinery,  tools,  &c.  (such  as  enable  the  nianu- 


KF.MIXISCENCKS  OF  GLASS-MAKING.  93 

facturer  liero  to  nirlt  with  tlie  sanu?  fiicl  double 
tlie  (jtiantity  of  ^lass  tliat  can  at  present  lie  done 
in  the  liluropean  runiacc^.)  arc  cniiicly  owing"  to 
the  j)i"ouress  of  tin'  art  in  this  coiintrv.  liy  tlie 
perfection  of  our  niaehines  douhle  the  pfoduet 
can  be  obtained  ;  and  aUhough  tlie  glass -maker 
is  j)aid  at  least  three  times  the  waf^es  usually 
paid  in  (lerniany  or  1' ranee,  we  can,  in  all  the 
articles  wliere  the  value  of  the  materials  ])re- 
dominates,  compete  successfully  with  imj)orters  of 
foreign  glass  ;  but  when  the  labor  on  glass  con- 
stitutes its  chief  value,  then  glass  can  be  im- 
ported cheaper  than  it  can  be  manufactured  in 
this  country.  Kssentiallv,  however,  we  may 
say,  in  the  realm  of  art  as  in  that  of  civilization 
and  progress,  — 

"  Westward  the  star  of  emiilre  takes  its  way." 
rRr.SSF.D    GLASS. 

This  important  branch  of  glass-making  de- 
n)ands  more  than  a  ])assing  notice.  Although  it 
is  coniiiionlv  believed  here;  that  the  iuNcntion 
orijrinated  in  this  countrv.  the  claim  cainiot  be 
fully  sustained.  Fiftv  years  back  the  writer  im- 
ported from  Holland  salts  made  by  being  pressed 
in  njetalic  moulds,  and  from  England  glass 
candlesticks  and  table  centre-bowls,  jdain.   with 


94  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

pressed  square  feet,  rudely  made,  somewhat  after 
the  present  mode  of  moulding  glass.  From  18 14 
to  1838,  no  improvement  was  niade  in  Europe 
in  this  process,  whicli  was  confined  to  common 
salts  and  square  feet. 

America  can  claim  the  credit  of  great  improve- 
ments in  the  needful  machinery  which  has  ad- 
vanced the  art  to  its  present  perfection.  More 
than  three  quarters  of  the  weekly  melt  is  now 
worked  up  into  pressed  glass,  and  it  is  estimated 
that  upwards  of  two  million  dollars  has  been 
expended  in  the  moulds  and  machines  now  used 
in  this  particular  branch  of  glass-making.  This 
leaves  Europe  far  behind  us  in  this  respect. 
With  us  there  is  active  competition  for  excel- 
lence. It  is,  however,  conceded  that  James  B. 
Lyon  &  Co.,  of  Pittsburg,  stand  first.  To 
such  a  degree  of  delicacy  and  fineness  have  they 
carried  their  manufacture,  that  only  experts  in 
the  trade  can  distinguish  between  their  straw 
stem  wines,  and  other  light  and  beautiful  articles 
made  in  moulds,  and  those  blown  hy  the  most 
skilled  workmen.  When  we  consider  the  dif- 
ference in  the  cost  between  pressed  and  hlown 
ware,  this  rivalry  in  beauty  of  the  former  with 
the  latter  becomes  all  the  more  important  to  the 
public,  as  it  cheapens  one  of  the  staple  neces- 
saries of  civilized  life. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  95 

Great  credit  therefore  is  due  tliis  I'lnu  for 
their  success  in  overcomino-  difficulties  well  un- 
derstood  by  glass-makers,  and  doing  away  with 
the  prejudice  of  the  skilled  blowers,  who  natu- 
rally were  not  inclined  to  j)ut  the  new  and  more 
mechanical  process  of  luanufacturinf];'  jrlass  on 
a  par  w  ith  the  handicraft  of  the  old.  Lvon  «Sj 
Co.  also  excel  all  other  Ainerican  firms  in  large 
ware  for  table  services,  as  well  as  in  the  more 
delicate  objects  of  use. 

In  speaking  of  the  improvements  in  glass- 
making  in  America,  we  must  not  overlook  what 
has  been  <lone  by  the  New  England  Glass  Com- 
pany. 

Convinced  of  the  importance  of  scientific  skill 
in  their  business,  they  secured  some  years  ago 
the  services  of  Mr.  Leighton  and  his  three  sons, 
at  a  liberal  compensation.  Ik'sidcs  j)ossessing 
the  best  practical  knowledge,  they  had  also  artis- 
tic taste,  which  enabled  them  to  give  elegant 
finish  to  their  workmanship,  and  to  introduce 
new  and  more  beautiful  patterns  into  it. 

They  did  not  neglect,  however,  the  niore 
homely  but  useful  articles  ;  hut  executed  orders 
for  large  and  heavy  objects  for  druggists'  and 
chemical  wares  and  philosophical  apparatus,  so 
satisfactorily  as  to  secure  a  monopoly  in  them. 


96  REMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

Their  richly  cut,  gilded,  colored,  and  ornamental 
glass  is  considered  equal  to  European  work. 

John  L.  Gillerland,  late  of  the  Brooklyn  Glass- 
Works,  is  remarkably  skilful  in  mixing  metal. 
He  has  succeeded  in  producing  the  most  brilliant 
glass  of  refractory  power,  which  is  so  difficult  to 
obtain.  A  gold  medal  was  awarded  his  glass, 
in  face  of  European  competition,  at  the  Great 
International  Exhibition  in  London,  1S52.  In 
making  rich  glass,  the  gaffer  or  foreman  must 
understand  the  science  of  chemistry  sufficiently 
well  to  mix  and  purify  his  materials  in  the 
best  possible  manner,  removing  all  «rude  or 
foreign  matter,  and  combining  the  proper  sub- 
stances into  a  homoo^eneous  mass.  Without  this 
practical  experience  and  knowledge,  his  glass, 
instead  of  being  clear  and  brilliant,  and  of  uni- 
form color,  will  be  dull,  and  of  many  hues  or 
shades.  It  is  important  also  that  his  personal 
character  be  such  as  to  command  the  respect  of 
the  workmen. 

LENSES.   • 

Optical  glasses  have  engaged  the  attention  and 
investigation  of  scientific  men  for  centuries.  We 
read  of  the  wonderful  exploits  of  the  burning  lens 
of  Archimedes,  and  find   the  remains  of  lenses 


REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  97 

thousands  of  years  old  in  tlie  ruins  of  Nineveh, 
Bahvlon,  and  Ponij)eii.  They  are  of  tlie  ut- 
most inij)oitance  in  tlic  science  of  astronomy. 
The  slow  progress  made  in  perfecting"  them 
shows  tlie  inlk'i-ent  (lilliculties  tliat  exist  in  ob- 
taining- glass  of  the  required  purity.  One  of 
these  is  the  ditlerent  specific  gravities  of  the 
material  used.  Hence  the  lower  part  of  a  pot 
of  melted  glass  is  of  greater  specific  gravity 
than  the  top,  causing  a  tendency  to  cords  or 
threads,  an  evil  which  science  has  yet  to  learn 
to  overcome.  Not  even  the  large  bounty  ollered 
by  the  English  Government  and  the  Board  of 
Longitude  has  been  successful  in  effecting  any 
important  improvement  in  this  branch  of  man- 
ufacture. Munich  enjoys  the  rej)utation  of  j)ro- 
ducing  the  best  lenses,  and  consecpiently  the 
finest  telescopes.  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Gregory, 
Dolland,  Keir,  and  others  adopted  lenses  made 
from  flint-  and  from  crown-glass,  it  being  neces- 
sary to  use  both  in  the  construction  of  achromatic 
telescopes,  one  possessing  as  small  and  the  other 
as  great  dispersive  powers  relative  to  the  mean 
refractive  powers  as  can  be  procured,  liut  the 
inherent  defect  of  the  lenses  still  remained.  M. 
Macquer  remarks,  "  The  correction  of  this  fault 
appears  therefore  to  be  very  diirniilt."  He  had 
7 


98  REMINISCENCES   OF   GLASS-MAKING. 

tried  in  vain  to  remove  it  by  very  long  fusion 
and  fierce  fire.  Others  have  found  this  by  ex- 
perience not  to  correct,  but  to  augment  the  evil. 
Mr.  Keir  is  of  opinion  that  some  new  compo- 
sition must  be  discovered,  which,  along  with  a 
sufficient  refractive  power,  shall  possess  a  greater 
uniformity  of  texture. 

Since  then,  it  is  certain  some  improvement  has 
been  made  in  the  composition  for  lenses.     In  an 
English  paper  we  find  the  following:- — "One 
of  the  most  remarkable  optical  lenses  of  modern 
manufacture  is  that  produced  by  Messrs.  Chance, 
English  manufacturers,  being  an  attempt  by  them 
to  improve  the  manufacture  of  glass  for  optical 
purposes.     The  diameter  is  twenty-nine  inches, 
and  it  is  two  inches  and  a  quarter  thick.     It  is 
really  not  a  lens,  but  a  plain  disk  intended  for  a 
lens,  should  its  quality  be  sufficiently  fine.     The 
weight  is  about  two  hundred  pounds.    This  piece 
of  glass  was  inspected,  on  its  first  public  exhi- 
bition, by  eminent  scientific  judges.      It  was  by 
them  examined  edgewise,  transversely,  and  ob- 
liquely ;  it  was  viewed  by  daylight  and  by  can- 
dle-lio-ht ;  it  was  tested  by  the  polariscope  and  by 
other  means  ;  and  after  having  been  thus  subjected 
to  a  severe  ordeal,  it  was  pronounced  to  be  the 
largest  and  finest  known  specimen  of  the  kind." 


REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  99 

The  jjioiiiise  Iit'ld  out  l»y  tlic  lor('fi"niiifr  wf  fear 
lias  failed,  as  in  vcrv  many  jncvions  cases,  or  the 
world  ere  this  tiiiM?  \v<»iild  lia\c'  licard  of  its  suc- 
cess. Ati  achioiuatic  ol»ieet-<i;lass  for  telescopes 
consists  of  at  least  two  lenses,  the  one  made  of 
flint-<r]ass,  and  the  other  of  crown-i^lass.  Tlie  for- 
mer, possessing  least  power  of  dispersing  tiie  col- 
ored rays  relative  to  its  mean  refractive  power, 
must  he  of  greater  value  than  the  latter.  It  is 
upon  this  principle  that  the  achromatism  of  the 
image  is  produced,  the  dilierent  colored  rays  he- 
ing  united  into  one  focus.  Flint-glass,  to  be  fit 
for  this  delicate  purpose,  must  be  perfectly  homo- 
geneous, of  uniform  density  throughout  its  sub- 
stance, and  free  from  wavy  veins  or  cords. 

From  the  foregoing,  the  reader  will  see  that, 
as  has  been  said,  the  chief  difficulty  which  exists 
in  making  telescopic  lenses  arises  from  want  of 
pure  glass.  Fverv  attempt  to  correct  this  evil 
has  failed  ;  it  is  well  known  our  best  telescopes 
and  like  optical  instruments  have  always  achro- 
matic lenses,  and  for  photographic  purposes  ach- 
romatic lenses  are  indispensable.  If  j)hilosoj)hers 
and  astronomers  have  with  so  imperfect  lenses 
attained  so  much,  what  may  not  the  astronomer 
look  for  when  science  gives  him  lenses  made 
from   pure  glass  1      If  the  heavens,  by  imper- 


100  REMINISCENCES   OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

feet  instruments,  have  so  far  been  unveiled,  to 
what  extent  may  he  not  then  be  able  to  penetrate 
the  pure  ether,  and  reveal  planets  and  heavenly- 
bodies  as  yet  unknown  '? 

We  close  our  reminiscences  of  Glass  and  its 
manufacture,  by  presenting  to  our  readers  a  view 
of  an  American  model  glass  factory  of  the  pres- 
ent day.^  By  comparing  this  view  with  the 
sketches  heretofore  given  of  the  early  Venetian 
and  French  factories,  they  will  perceive  the  very 
great  improvement  which  is  apparent  over  the 
ancient  plans,  an  improvement  conducing  alike 
to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  workmen. 
Thirty  years  have  passed  in  its  development, 
during  which  many  difficulties  arose  from  the 
conflicting  opinions  of  the  English  and  German 
glass-makers  ;  and,  in  fact,  it  was  not  until  the 
proprietors  boldly  separated  themselves  from  the 
current  and  influence  of  old,  and  almost  fixed 
opinions,  that  any  decided  progress  was  shown 
in  the  development  of  manufacturing  efficiency, 
or  any  plan  contributing  to  the  health  and  com- 
fort of  the  workmen  employed. 

It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  first  glass 
works  in  this  country  were  established  by  the 
Germans,  who  used  no  other  fuel  than  wood,  the 

1  See  drawing  No.  4,  at  end  of  book. 


RKMINISCENCES    OF   GLASS-MAKING.  lUl 

furnaces  for  wiiidow-o^lass  constructed  under  tlicir 
directions  bein^;'  for  that  fuel  only  ;  on  the  other 
hand,  tlie  Eno;lish  workmen  who  introduced  tlie 
niakinof  of  flint-olass  had  made  use  of  no  other 
fuel  than  coal,  and  the  Eno^lish  were  therefore 
ohlie^ed  to  adojit  (for  the  want  of  coal)  the  (ier- 
nian  plan  for  furnaces,  and  adapt  the  same  to  the 
makinof  of  flint-jjlass.  The  liouse  was  like  the 
furnace,  half  Kno^lish  and  half  German,  and  from 
the  year  181!;?,  for  thirty  years,  little  or  no  im- 
provement was  made  in  this  particular.  \  ear 
after  year  the  old  plan  was  followed,  until  neces- 
sity paved  the  way  for  new  plans  in  the  elfort  to 
secure  a  less  expensive  mode  of  melting"  glass. 

The  result  has  been  highly  favorable.  More 
than  one  half  has  been  saved  in  the  melt,  an- 
nealing leers,  and  working  places,  yielding  the 
workmen  greater  space  and  facilities  in  perform- 
ing their  work,  and  no  longer  exposing  them 
to  the  discomfort  of  extra  heat,  smoke,  and 
unhealthy  gases.  These  improvements  have 
enabled  the  American  manufacturer  to  sustain 
his  business  in  the  severe  and  trying  comj)eti- 
tion  with  foreign  manufacturers,  who  forced  their 
glass  into  this  country  through  their  agents  a  few 
years  since,  in  such  quantities,  and  at  such  re- 
duced prices,  as  seriously  to  aU'ect  the  prosperity 


102  REMINISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING. 

of  our  artisans  ;  yet,  aided  as  they  have  been 
by  a  taritF  directly  promoting  foreign  interest, 
and  by  the  very  low  rates  of  wages  paid  on  the 
Continent,  they  have  been  successfully  contended 
with,  and  now  a  home  competition  has  sprung 
up,  reducing  prices  below  a  fair  standard,  —  a 
competition,  the  result  of  enterprise,  which  will, 
erelong,  regulate  itself,  for  we  fully  hold  to  the 
maxim,  that  competition,  honest  and  well  sus- 
tained, is  the  soul  and  life  of  business :  — 

"  No  horse  so  swift  that  he  needs  not  another 
To  keep  up  his  speed." 

There  is  no  mechanical  employment  in  this 
country  yielding  so  good  returns  to  the  industri- 
ous as  a  good  worker  in  glass,  of  the  present  day, 
can  secure  in  the  exercise  of  his  skill.  And  we 
may  still  further  say  that  there  is  no  mechanical 
branch  of  industry  offering  such  advantages  for 
the  full  manifestation  of  a  workman's  real  skill 
and  industry,  if  the  conventional  usages  which  re- 
strict the  work  could  but  be  abrogated, —  usages 
tending  to  a  limited  amount  of  work,  and  con- 
sequently making  the  workman  to  realize  but  a 
limited  amount  per  week.  Such  workmen,  of 
all  others,  should  be  allowed  the  inherent  and 
inalienable  right  to  work  as  long,  and  at  such 
times,  as  the  individual  may  deem  for  his  com- 
fort and  interest. 


ROnXISCENCES    OF    GLASS-MAKING.  103 

We  liave  expressed  tlie  opinion  tliat  tlic  ni.niu- 
facture  of  glass  is  as  vet  l>iit  in  its  infancN-,  I  lie 
experience  of  every  day  eoiitirnis  the  assertion, 
and  illustrates  tiie  maxim  tliat  '•  life  is  short, 
art  is  l<>n<j." 

Tile  time  is  not  far  distant  wlien  this  country 
^^ill  become,  we  think,  the  largest  exj)(»rter  of 
glass,  and  the  manufacture  comjiosc;  a  most  im- 
portant item  in  every  assorted  export  cargo.  In 
this  connection  a  liint  to  sliip-owners  may  not  be 
amiss.  It  is  well  known  that  in  England,  when 
a  ship  is  j)ut  up  for  a  foreign  port,  it  is  the  cus- 
tom to  rate  the  freight  according  to  the  value  of 
tlie  merchandise,  —  dry  goods  paying  the  highest 
freight,  hardware  the  next  liighest,  earthen  and 
glass  ware  the  lowest.  If  our  merchants  would 
adoj)t  this  plan,  very  many  of  our  bulkv  man- 
ufactures would  find  a  market  abroad  ;  when, 
however,  the  same  rate  is  required  for  a  cask 
of  glass  ware  as  for  a  case  of  silks  or  prints, 
it  taxes  the  latter  a  small  percentage,  but  practi- 
cally vetoes  the  export  of  the  glass. 

Our  task  is  now  ended  ;  our  object  has  been 
to  give  a  simple  and  succinct  outline  of  the 
characteristics  and  progress  of  Uie  Glass  Man- 
ufacture, to  suijijest  such  hints  as  mi«jht  bear 
upon   the  further  advance  of  the   art,   and   the 


104  REMINISCENCES  OF  GLASS-MAKING. 

preservation  of  those  practically  identified  with 
the  manufacture,  and,  if  possible,  to  attract  the 
attention  of  those  hitherto  unacquainted  with  its 
nature  and  history.  If  we  have  neglected  the 
maxim  that  "  those  ivlio  live  in  glass  houses^'' 
&c.,  it  has  not  been  from  the  want  of  honest 
endeavors  to  remember  it ;  and  if  we  have  con- 
tributed either  to  the  instruction  or  the  pleasure 
of  any  reader,  (and  this  is  our  hope,)  we  shall 
not  regret  the  hours  spent  in  the  preparation  of 
this  little  work. 


APPENDIX. 


Ri:ci:irTs,  etc. 

Thkrk  are  plenty  of  receipts  for  the  composition  of  flint  or 
crj'stal  plass,  but  no  mixture  that  we  know  can  secure  a  uni- 
form shade  in  each  pot.  The  component  parts  of  glass  are 
well  known,  and  the  mixer's  sure  guide  is  to  watch  the  efliect 
of  heat  on  each  pot,  for  he  soon  finds  the  mixture  that  gives 
good  color  in  one  pot  will  in  another  in  the  same  furnace 
prove  bad.  If  he  possesses  sufTitient  knowledge  of  the  chem- 
ical causes,  he  can  correct  the  evil. 

Among  the  valuable  receipts  for  rich  colors  is  the  following, 
for  RUBY  GLASS,  which  takes  the  load  both  in  cost  ami  rich- 
ness :  — 

Take  one  ounce  of  pure  gold ;  dissolve  in  a  glass  vessel  two 
ounces  pure  sal  ammoniac  acid,  and  five  ounces  of  pure  nitric 
acid,  which  will  take  si.x  to  seven  days  ;  drop  in  at  a  time  say 
one  twentieth  part  of  the  gold.  When  tlie  first  piece  is  dis- 
solved, drop  in  another  twentieth  portion  of  the  gold,  and  so 
on  until  the  ounce  of  gold  is  all  dissolved.  This  will  re<juire 
twenty-four  hours.  I'^vaporate  the  solution  to  dryness.  Then 
prepare  in  a  glass  vessel  six  ounces  pure  nitric  acid,  two 
ounces  muriatic  acid,  and  one  ounce  of  highest  proof  alcohol ; 
mix  them  well  together,  and  drop  in  pure  grained  tin  a  bit  at 
a  time,  but  beware  of  (he  fumes.  Stir  it  well  with  a  glass  rod; 
dilute  the  solution  with  eighty  times  its  bulk  of  distilled  water; 
then  take  the  prepared  gold,  dissolved  in  a  quart  of  distilled 


106  APPENDIX. 

water,  and  pour  it  steadily  into  the  solution  of  tin  as  above 
prepared,  stirring  all  the  while.  Let  it  settle  twenty-four  to 
thirty  hours  ;  pour  off  the  water,  leave  the  settlings,  pour 
in  two  thirds  of  a  quart  of  water.  Stir  it  thoroughly  ;  let  it 
settle  thirty  hours;  pour  off  as  before,  and  filter  the  precipitate 
through  filtering  paper.  The  result  is  the  purple  of  Crassus. 
The  ounce  of  gold  thus  prepared  must  be  well  incorporated 
■with  the  following  batch :  say  thirty-two  pounds  fine  silex, 
thirty-six  pounds  oxide  of  lead,  sixteen  pounds  refined  nitre  ; 
melt  the  same  in  a  clean  pot,  one  little  used,  and  smooth  in- 
side ;  when  filled  in,  put  the  stopper  to  the  pot  loose,  leaving  it 
slightly  open  ;  leave  it  five  or  six  hours,  or  time  to  settle,  then 
a  back  stopper  can  be  put  up.  In  the  usual  time  it  will  be 
ready  to  be  worked  out  in  solid,  egg-shaped  balls,  and  exposed 
to  the  air  to  be  partially  cooled ;  they  are  then  to  be  placed 
in  the  leer  under  a  strong  fire,  which  will  in  two  or  three  hours 
turn  them  to  a  red  color ;  then  the  pans  may  be  drawn  slowly 
to  anneal  the  balls. 

It  is  well  known  to  mixers  that  colored  glass  is  derived  from 
metallic  oxides.  To  obtain  the  proper  color  depends  on  the 
purity  and  strength  of  the  metallic  oxides.  The  following 
receipts  have  with  success  been  used :  — 

alabastp:r. 

To  500  lbs.  of  batch  add 

30    "    phosphate  of  soda, 
10    "    allumine,  —  i.  e.  calcined  alum, 
3    "    calcined  magnesia. 

BLACK. 

To  1400  lbs.  of  batch  add 
180    "    manganese, 
100    "    calcined  iron  scales,  made  fine, 
20    "    powdered  charcoal, 
10    "    arsenic. 


APPENDIX.  107 


To  100  lbs.  of  batch  add 

8  ouiHi's  bi'st  oxide  of  uranium, 
1  dr.  oxide  of  copper. 

The  common  colors  of  purple,  blue,  emerald,  or  green,  are 
too  well  known  to  reiiuire  to  be  repeated  here. 

The  following  receipt  for  crystal  glass  is  on  the  European 
standard,  viz. :  — 

1200  lbs.  silex, 
800    "    red  lead, 
440   "    pearl  ash, 

50    "    nitre, 

10    "    phosphate  of  lime, 

10  07..  white  oxide  of  antimony, 

24   "    manganese, 

32    "    arsenic, 

20    "    borax. 

GEUMAN    SHEET    GLASS. 

400  lbs.  iiilcx, 
130    "    .soda, 
126    "    hydrate  of  lime, 
4    "    charcoal, 
7    "    nitrate  of  soda, 
4    "    arsenic, 
1    "    manganese. 
Gold-colored  spangles  may  be  diffused  through  the  glass  by 
mixing  gold-colored  talcs  in  the  batch. 

AGATE. 

To  150  lbs.  (lint  batch  add 
10    "    phosphate  of  lime, 
6    "    arsenic. 


108  APPENDIX. 


600  lbs.  flint  batch, 
40  "  manjranese, 
46    "    oxide  of  iron. 

LIGHT   EMERALD    GREEN, 

200  lbs.  flint  batch, 

2J-  "   iron  filings,  calcined, 
■^  "   antimony. 

ORIENTAL   GREEN. 

110  lbs.  flint  batch, 

1  "    oxide  of  uranium, 

2  oz.  carbonate  of  copper 


500  lbs.  batch, 
60    "    phosphate  of  lime, 
4    "    arsenic, 
20    "    nitrate  of  soda. 
Said  to  turn  without  cooling. 

William  Gillonder,  of  England,  gives  the  following  receipt 
for  Bohemian  Red,  or  Rub}' :  — 
Sand,  62  lbs. 
Lead,  76  " 
Nitre,  22  " 
Antimony,    8  oz. 
Manganese,  3  " 
Add  one  ounce  of  purple  of  Crassus  to  every  eighty  pounds 
of  the  above  batch. 

WAX    RED. 

To  15  lbs.  flint  batch  add 
1    "    raw  brass, 
I  "  crocus  martus. 
This  he  says  is  very  good. 


APPENDIX.  109 

Tl'HQUOISK. 

To  1100  ILs.  flint  hatch  adil 

90    "    phosphate  of  lime, 

15    "    arsenic, 

15    "    calcined  brass  dust. 

VIOLET. 

To  100  lbs.  flint  batch  add 
1  '*  calcined  brass, 
1^  "  zafTre. 

Receipts  for  window-glass  are  as  numerous  as  for  flint.  The 
followinjr  are  in  general  use  in  England,  so  sajs  Gilleuder :  — 

CROWN   CLASS. 

Sand,  MOO  lbs. 

Quick  lime,  4H0    " 

Sulphate  of  soda,  560    " 
Charcoal,  25    " 

PLATE   GLASS. 

Sand,  800  lbs. 

Sulphate  of  soda,  450  •' 
Quick  lime,  100    '« 

Nitre,  25    " 

Charcoal,  5    '• 

DIAMOND    GLASS. 

Four  pounds  of  borax,  one  pound  of  fine  sand  ;  reduce  both 
to  a  subtile  powder,  and  melt  them  together  in  a  closed  cruci- 
ble set  in  an  air  furnace,  under  a  strong  fire,  till  fusion  is  per- 
fect. Let  it  cool  in  the  crucible,  and  a  pure,  hard  glass,  capa- 
ble of  cutting  common  glass  like  a  diamond,  which  it  rivals 
in  brilliancy,  is  produced. 


110  APPENDIX. 


LEAD. 


Lead  is  an  important  and  costly  ingredient  of  flint-glass, 
used  as  a  protoxide,  either  as  litharge  or  red  lead,  and  should 
be  perfectly  pure,  for  the  presence  of  any  other  substance  or 
metal  will  be  shown  in  the  color  of  the  glass.  Consequently, 
the  purity  of  the  glass  depends  mainly  on  the  quality  of  the 
metallic  lead  and  its  being  well  manufactured. 

The  writer  believes  he  was  the  first  person  in  the  United 
States,  aided  by  a  director  of  the  New  England  Glass  Com- 
pany, to  build  a  lead  furnace.  This  was  in  1818.  His  only 
guide  was  a  volume  of  "  Cooper's  Emporium  of  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences," which  furnished  a  plan  on  a  very  limited  scale. 

The  furnace  proved  successful,  and  enabled  the  Company  to 
continue  their  manufacture  of  glass  at  a  period  when  no  for- 
eign red  lead  was  to  be  procured.  They  enlarged  their  works, 
until  they  have  become  the  most  important  in  the  country ; 
while  for  over  thirty  years  they  monopolized  the  business  in  all 
its  branches,  from  the  highest  qualities  of  pure  Galena  and 
painter's  red  lead  to  common  pig  lead.  In  manufacturing  me- 
tallic lead,  its  weight  is  materially  increased  by  the  absorption 
of  oxygen  gas.  In  1847  the  writer  made  many  test  experi- 
ments, one  as  follows  :  660  pigs  of  blue  lead,  weighing  45,540 
pounds,  turned  out  from  the  ovens  48,750  pounds  of  litharge, 
—  an  increase  in  weight  of  3210  pounds. 

The  cost  of  labor  was  $65.50  ;  fuel,  $86.50  ;  engine  power. 
Si  7.50;  total,  $169.50  ;  and  the  market  value  of  the  excess  in 
weight  of  the  lead  was  $250,  showing  a  satisfactory  profit  to 
the  company  for  their  outlay  in  this  branch  of  their  business. 
Chemistry  gives  the  increase  in  course  of  manufacture :  In 
protoxide  state,  7  per  cent. ;  in  deutoxide  state,  11  per  cent.; 
in  tritoxide,  15  per  cent. 

Muriatic  acid  will  detect  iron  in  lead,  on  dissolving  a  small 
piece  of  lead  in  the  acid.     If  colorless,  it  is  good. 

Nitric  acid  will  detect  if  there  is  cobalt  in  the  lead,  by  add- 
ing to  the  acid  half  the  quantity  of  high-proof  alcohol.  If 
present,  the  evidence  is  soon  seen. 


APPENDIX.  Ill 

Sonic  use  tlie  followinp  as  more  direct :  —  In  a  small  evapor- 
atinj;  glass  dish  place  say  one  ounce  of  lead ;  cover  it  wiih  mu- 
riatic acid ;  dissolve  the  lead  over  a  spirit  lamp,  add  a  little 
water,  and  let  it  settle;  draw  it  olT  iirto  another  },'ia.<s  vessel, 
and  ailil  five  or  six  drops  of  the  solution  of  potash.  If  the 
lead  is  suitable  for  glass-makers,  the  solution  will  be  of  a  light, 
clejir,  greenish  color;  if  of  a  blue  or  purple  shade,  it  is  not 
suitable  for  flint-trlass. 


SAND,  Oil  SILEX. 

In  the  manufacture  of  glass  it  is  essential  that  the  silex 
should  be  perfectly  pure,  as  the  slightest  mineral  taint  afTects 
the  color. 

At  first  the  New  England  factories  got  their  sand  from 
Demcrara,  brought  as  ballast,  and  the  (juality  was  good.  Dur- 
ing the  War  of  1812  this  source  of  supply  was  cut  off,  but 
Plymouth  beach  provided  for  the  wants  of  the  manufactur- 
ers, until  a  better  sand  was  discovered  at  Morris  Ilivtr,  N.  J., 
though  not  up  to  the  full  rcipiircmcnt  of  the  art.  For  ten 
years  past,  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  has  furnished  sand ; 
the  best  quality  is  owned  by  G.  W.  Gordon,  Esq.  By  thor- 
ough washing,  and  passing  it  through  fine  sieves,  and  proper 
packing,  he  now  commands  the  market,  and  delivers  it  ready 
for  use.  The  purity  has  been  tested,  as  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing e.xtract  from  a  report  by  Professor  A.  A.  Hayes,  M.  D., 
of  Boston,  Massachusetts  State  Assaycr,  of  the  result  of  anal- 
yses of  three  samples  of  Berkshire  sand,  taken  from  three 
different  locations  owned  by  Mr.  Gordon,  viz. :  — 

"  For  the  manufacture  of  glass,  the  slight  amount  of  earth, 
in  mica  and  tourmaline,  contained  in  these  samples,  is  of  no 
account,  the  impurity  being  such  oxides  as  color  glass.  The 
analyses  therefore  give  only  the  proportion  of  coloring  oxides; 
and,  for  simplicity  of  statement,  the  total  weight  of  coloring 
oxide  in  each  sample  is  determined  in  one  part  or  pound. 


112  APPENDIX. 

"  Sample  B  analyses :  4000  parts  of  this  sample  contain  one 
part  of  oxide  of  iron. 
"       C  anal3'ses:  3333  parts  of  this  sample  contain  one 

part  of  oxide  of  iron. 
"       P  analyses :  3460  parts  of  this  sample  contain  one 
part  of  oxide  of  iron. 
"  Sample  B  is  equal  in  purity  to  the  best  sand  known  as  a 
material  for  glass,  in  this  or  any  other  country." 

FURNACES. 

Next  to  pots,  furnaces  are  most  important  for  the  success  of 
a  glass  manufactory.  Long  ago  it  was  seen  that  the  old  Eng- 
lish plan  was  defective.  They  consumed  coal  at  an  extrava- 
gant rate,  though  this  was  not  a  serious  drawback  in  England, 
because  the  furnaces  were  located  near  coal-mines,  and  run 
with  a  quality  called  slack,  not  otherwise  merchantable.  Eng- 
lish furnaces  were  constructed  with  reference  to  durability, 
usually  eight  feet  in  diameter  at  the  interior  base,  and  six  feet 
clear  at  the  crown.  This  rule  was  followed  in  this  country 
until  1840.  The  writer,  having  occasion  to  build  an  extra  fur- 
nace, adopted  the  novel  plan  of  one  fourteen  feet  diameter 
at  the  base  in  the  clear  and  only  five  feet  at  the  crown,  braced 
by  binders,  with  cross-ties  to  prevent  lateral  expansion,  which 
was  a  success. 

A  furnace  on  the  old  plan  consumed  2575  bushels  of  coal 
weekly,  and  refined  only  38,000  pounds  of  raw  material.  The 
new  refined  35,000  pounds,  with  a  consumption  of  only  2000 
bushels  of  coal.  Since  then  a  further  decrease  in  consumption 
of  coal  has  been  produced  by  the  use  of  the  Delano  patent, 
which  feeds  the  furnace  by  forcing  up  the  coal  at  the  bottom 
of  the  burning  mass,  thus  consuming  the  entire  smoke,  and 
obviating  the  necessity  of  wheeling  coal  on  the  glass-house  floor 
and  impeding  the  workmen.  It  also  does  away  with  all  danger 
to  the  pots  in  feeding  the  fires.     Besides  these  great  advan- 


ArPENDIX.  113 

tages,  it  distributes  a  regular  and  uniform  heat  to  each  pot, 
causing  the  pots  to  last  mucli  longer,  and  fusing  the  metal  bet- 
ter, —  imj)ortant  items  to  mixers. 

From  three  to  five  tons  of  fuel  is  the  weekly  saving  in  a 

first-class  furnace. 

* 

It  is  of  vital  importance  to  obtain  pots  that  will  last  a  rea- 
sonable lime.  Clays  of  the  finest  quality  are  essential.  p]ach 
piece  must  bo  freed  from  any  foreign  matter,  particularly 
sulphate  of  iron,  which  otleu  occurs.  The  burnt  and  raw 
clay  should  be  well  mixed,  wet,  and  frequently  kneaded,  or 
trod  over  by  the  naked  teet.  Tenacity  must  be  secured,  suf- 
ficient that  a  roll  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  long  can  be  sus- 
pended, and  hold  firmly  together  by  its  own  adhesiveness. 
The  next  point  is  to  make  the  pots  free  from  air  blisters,  all 
portions  being  compact ;  then  to  dry  them  thoroughly,  which 
recjuires  great  care  on  account  of  the  inequality  of  the  dilFer- 
ent  parts.  Pot-makers  are  not  agreed  as  to  the  value  of  dif- 
ferent clays,  and  the  use  and  proportion  of  raw  to  burnt  shells. 
Some  use  sixteen  parts  raw  to  eleven  burnt,  some  fifty-five  raw 
to  forty-five  burnt,  some  equal  proportions  of  each. 

Manufacturers  have  m<iiuly  depended  upon  imported  clays, 
but  the  Western  gla.ss-makers  have  used  Missouri  clay  with 
success.  In  the  east  it  has  not  yet  come  into  general  use.  Of 
the  imported,  that  from  Stowbridge  is  considered  best.  Garn- 
kerk  is  a  strong  clay,  and,  if  well  selected,  will  rival  any  other. 
The  analyses  are  for 

STOWBRIDGE, 

Silica,  C4  parts. 

Alumina,  20      " 
Lime,  1      " 

Iron,  3      " 

GERMAN, 

Silica,        46  parts, 
Alumina,  31      " 
Iron,  3      " 


114  APPENDIX. 

GARNKERK, 

Silica,  53  parts, 

Alumina,  43       " 

Lime,  1      " 

Iron,  1      " 

FBENCH, 

Silica,        40  parts, 
Alumina,  31      " 
Iron,  3      " 

■WESTERN, 

Silica,        49  to  52  parts, 
Alumina,  31  to  32      " 
Iron,  2  to    4      " 

FUEL. 

This  subject  deserves  special  notice.  We  have  said  that  the 
New  England  manufacturers  at  first  used  wood  only,  which 
was  prepared  by  being  split  into  equal  lengths,  with  an  aver- 
age diameter  of  two  inches,  and  then  kiln-dried  to  dispel  the 
Bap  and  moisture.  This  fuel  was  supplied  to  the  furnace  at 
opposite  fire-holes,  a  stick  at  a  time,  which  was  a  laborious 
and  heating  process. 

Subsequently,  a  furnace  was  built  at  South  Boston,  over  a 
cave,  and  unkilned  wood  was  used  in  clefts.  This  saved  one 
quarter  in  fuel,  but  it  used  up  the  pots  so  rapidly  as  to  prove 
to  be  no  economy  in  the  end.  After  the  development  of  the 
Virginia  coal  mines,  our  furnaces  were  altered  to  use  coal, 
which  proved  to  be  more  convenient  and  less  costly  than 
wood.  The  Pictou  and  Cumberland  mines  also  increased  the 
supply ;  and  at  present  all  the  furnaces  in  New  England,  with 
one  exception,  are  run  with  this  last-named  fuel. 

The  various  experiments  made  to  economize  fuel  for  the 
"  glory-holes,"  as  the  workmen  call  the  working  places  above 


APPENDIX.  115 

the  furnace,  are  well  known.  For  many  years  the  prepared 
wood  wo  have  spoken  of  was  used.  Tlien  resin  in  a  pow- 
dered state  was  added,  which  was  holh  inconvenient  and  dan- 
gerous,—  it  having  caused  the  destruction  by  burning  of  two 
glass-houses.  This  risk  was  finally  overcome  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  an  invention  which  used  it  in  a  licjuid  state.  But  the 
demand  for  resin  became  so  great  as  soon  to  more  than  double 
its  price.  This  led  to  the  substitution  of  coal  tar,  which  was 
in  use  until  science  discovered  its  latent  virtues  for  other  pur- 
poses, and  largely  increased  the  original  cost  of  the  material. 
Indeed,  at  first  the  gas  companies  had  considered  it  of  no 
value,  and  had  thrown  it  away  by  thousands  of  barrels.  Com- 
bined with  dead  oil  it  is  still  used  by  glass-makers,  but  at 
greatly  enhanced  prices. 

The  Cape  Cod  Glass  Company  have  had  in  use  for  several 
years  a  Delano  patent  furnace-feeder,  which  enables  them  to 
use  both  hard  and  soft  coal,  as  either  is  cheapest,  and  consumes 
the  smoke  and  gas  of  either  fuel,  thus  doing  away  all  annoyance 
to  the  neighborhood.  Theretofore  every  attempt  to  run  work- 
ing places  with  hard  or  soft  coal  had  failed  on  account  of  the 
noxious  gases  set  free,  which  injure  the  color  of  the  glass. 
But  owing  to  the  intense  heat  created  by  the  Delano  patent, 
the  furnace  consumes  these  gases,  and  gives  a  quick  fire  polish 
to  the  various  articles  fiui^hed  therein. 

As  our  native  supj)lies  of  hard  and  soft  coal  are  inexhausti- 
ble, there  is  no  likelihood  of  an  increase  in  the  price  of  the 
present  fuel  so  as  to  necessitate,  as  heretofore,  a  substitution  of 
some  cheaper  article,  especially  as  the  discovery  of  petroleum 
tends  to  cheapen  coal  by  a  diversion  of  a  portion  of  its  con- 
sumption to  that  useful  mineral  oil. 

USEFUL  ITE^^IS. 

A  bushel  of  English  coal  weighs  HO  pounds ;  of  Virginia  coal, 
93  pounds;  of  Pictou,  76  pounds;  of  Cumberland,  84  pounds; 
of  red  ash,  hard,  81  pounds. 

Crude  saltpetre,  refined,  loses  nine  per  cent. 


116  APPENDIX, 

Chemists  estimate  that  one  hundred  pounds  of  pearlash  con- 
tain thirty  per  cent,  carbonic  acid.  In  refining,  it  loses  on 
the  average  fifteen  per  cent,  in  weight. 

Phosphate  of  soda  brightens  glass. 

Borax  brightens,  but  hardens  glass. 

Twenty-five  silver  dollars  refined  will  give  thirty-seven 
ounces  of  nitrate  of  silver. 

A  square  foot  of  furnace  clay  weighs  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pounds. 

Alum,  calcined,  loses  in  weight  sixty  per  cent. 

Crude  flint  batch,  melted  and  ladled  out,  loses  in  the  aver- 
age fifteen  per  cent,  in  weight. 

Hard  coal  will  measure  forty  cubic  feet  to  a  gross  ton. 

Glass  in  water.  There  are  some  peculiar  phenomena  con- 
nected with  hot  glass  and  water.  If  a  ball  of  red-hot  iron  is 
placed  in  a  vessel  containing  cold  water,  the  latter  is  quickly 
agitated.  But  a  ball  of  melted  glass  of  equal  weight  dropped 
in  cold  water  will  produce  no  immediate  agitation.  The  wa- 
ter will  remain  for  some  time  quiescent ;  but  when  the  glass 
is  cooled  to  about  half  its  highest  temperature,  it  agitates  the 
cold  water  violently. 

Technical  terms,  descriptive  of  glass,  such  as  crystal,  flint, 
tale,  may  be  derived  from  these  facts :  the  French  used  for 
their  base  crystal  stones,  burnt  and  ground  fine  ;  in  England 
they  had  recourse  only  to  flint  stone,  treated  the  same  as  the 
French  used  their  blocks  of  crystal ;  tale  was  derived  from  the 
mode  of  selling,  the  best  glass  being  sold  only  by  weight,  while 
light  articles  were  sold  tale. 


t 


IS 


J 


Tho   Positiou    of  Wheeling 
Glass  Manufacture. 


lU 


Among  tlie  maiiufacturct*  of  WJieel- 
ing,  Uintof-lasH  occupies  an  iniportnnt 
place.  As  many  citizeiiH  orWlu'dingl 
may  be  ur.awarc  that  thoir  city  lian  ta-  j 
ken  a  leading  |)osilion  in  gla^s  manu- 
facture, the  fullowingbrief.account  may 
he  interesting.    -  .       j 

Although  glaj«-inaking  claims  to  be  | 
an  ancient  art,  yet  the  present  mcthod.-i  J 
of  its  manufacture  An-  nnilnnl,!.,!!.-  o(. 
modern  invention 

We  rcail  how,  in  oi.i  linio,  in  liie 
famou.^  old  city  of  Venice,  tlie  ai-t  of 
glass-making  was  praclicwl  by  noble- 
men, who  devoted  thoir  live.s  to  the  pro- 
duction of  a  few  vascH  and  drinking 
cui).'^,  richly  and  elaborately  orna- 
mented. 

The  art  was  tlien  practiced  with 
great  secrecy,  and  wa.s  consideretl  al- 
most akin  to  a.^trolo^'y  and  magic,  and 
tho  Venetian  glasa-blbwer  waK^consid- 
ered  to  be  fairly  on  the  wav  to  tlie  di.s- 
covery  rif  the  iMiilo.-'opher  h  Stone. 

Tlie  )>rOduc.Hons  of  tlie  Venetian 
gla-^R-tnakers  held  a  vcr>-  higJi  value, 
and  could  mily  be  purchaused  by  prinees 
or  those  of  princely  wealth,  and  were 
held  fitting  presents  to  pa.«s  from  crown 
to  crown. 

Those  mysterioii.^  days  of  glasw-niak- 
ing  pa^.-edaway,   and  "as    vcars  rolled 
round,  the    nifiruifactuiT   of    glassware 
took  an    eRtabJi.shed   place    among  the 
regular  fraden,  and    the    production    of 
tjieglaw  bouses    became    sutticient    to 
furnish,  at    reafionable    pricc-«,  all   the 
world      Vet,  still  glassware  was  bevond 
the  reach  of  the  working  claswcp,  on  ac- 
count of  price,    and     still    tlie    glass- 
blowers    produced    their    ware    bv  the 
identical     methods    practiced    bv  'tlieir 
predwjdsjjorv,  iht  Old    Venetian  '  noble- 
men.    The  art  of  producing  sheet  glass  i 
for  windows,   and  jilaU-  gla.-s   f-.r  "niir- '[ 
rors  had  been  discovere.l  ami  carried  to  I 
a  high  state   of  perfection,   but    thirty-  '" 
live  years  ago  ail  tlic  glass  articles    for  li 
table  use,    lamp.s,  tVc,  in  fact,   ail  that  i. 
class  of  ware  calletl  "fliat  glasM   ware," 
and  of  which  tile  prodnctlon    was  even  I 
then  immense,  weie  'blown  '  according  |'"  I 
to  the  literal  and  technical  i»hraseology.  - ' 
Blown  glass  \s  prcKluced  bv  "•ratherin''" 

M 


;:l:i>s-,  oil  ;    uii   iron     tube,  u 

I'all  of  gla  li  h^t  ;  and    then 

by  blowiii';  thr"i.L'li  tli<»  tube,  as  a  snap 
bul)blf  is  blown  Irom  a  pijK-,  eximnding 
the  solid  ball  into  a  hollow  glone,  and 
lben(;e  by  various  mauipnialions  nhHj>- 
ing  into  whatever  form  is  re<\uirc<I.  In 
this  art  of  blowing  glass,  by  long  prac- 
tice, the  gla.se  lilower  becom<>s  wonder- 
fully proficient;  and,  in  the  hands  of  a' 
mastc  r  of  hi-"  trade,  the  ghw^s  apfwars, 
as  if  by  magic,  to  a.^sitme  a  shape  ac- 
cording to  his  will. 

■  But  llt«|  tHiie  ciuue  wiicjk  thJ4  liMfthod 
of  jironiicing  gla.'isware  was  too  sIIjw  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  an  advancing 
age.  The  art  of  wi*'tA/(;«/ gla.-is  into  the 
required  fiha))eH  was  proiluced.  This 
art  of  producing  mouldetl  glassware 
made  its  apiK-arance  about  the  years 
ISoO  to  '.!.")  and  the  moulded  ware,  thus 
produced,  reccive<l  the  technical  name 
of  "pressed  ware'  on  account  of  being 
moulded  under  considerable  pressure. 
So  many  claims  to  the  cre<lit  of  the 
invention  of  "pressed"  gia^«  ijave  been 
advanced,  timl  i(  iMdillieuU  lotl*H>itle  to 
wlioiii  the  credit  i.-i  really  due,  but  ihifl  ' 
much  is  certain,  that  to  Ameriam  ijlan- 
ufactnrei"s  is  due  the  credit  of  bringing 
the  invention  into  pi-actical  use.  While! 
the  manufacturers  of  England  were  still 
pbxjdlng  along  in  tlie  .same  oUI  bftiten 
patli,  jn-odiicltig  their  blown  ware  at 
moderate  prices  on  account  of  the  low 
cost  of  their  laiior,  the  American  man- 
ufacturers rapiiliy  extended  and  ini- 
jirovcil  the  art  of  "pressing"  glass,  until 
(with  the  great  disadvantage  ol' much 
higher  cost  of  labor)  tiiey  coulJ  meet 
in  prices  tho  European  manulacturers, 
and  at  the  same  time  prmluced  articles 
of  mucli  superior  character  of  shape 
and  ornamentation.  "Pres.sed"  glass- 
ware is  truly  an  American  art  and  one 
that  has  arisen  and  been  brought  to  its 
prew'nt  liigbdegr(*' of  |n'rlection  within 
tiie  last  .'»<»  or  '.j')  years. 

Hut,  the  reader  will  ask,  how  does 
tliis  pnu:tically  ppplv  lu  tii«^  «ji|y  of 
Wheeling?  So  far  ^Vheellng  fia'-  no- 
more  credit  than  otlur  places  of  manu- 
factuie,  but  the  next  g,reat  .slt-p  in  the 
history  ofp!a.s.-»-mRkfng  in  tliis  country, 
was  taken  fn  the  citv  ol  WbeoHnj:. 
To  make  this  iiiuii'r.;tii. ..i 
refer  to  the  coin  ; 
vious  to  \>^64  1 1 
gla.ssware  made  in  ihi-; 
comj>o.-ed  or,.-!iiid,  lead  and  pearl-ash: 
wherever  tli«-«-  wan  an  exCcj>tJon  to  this 
composition  the  glass  was  of  verv  in- 
terior cliar.icler,  and  eoi)se«|uent)v  of 
\h\h'  tabic. 


•AC  mu>t  now 

urlass.     Pre- 

ilie  "j^ressed  ' 

eountrv    was 


_^''Puriii;z:  file  uinter  of  iSG4 
M§psr!=.  J.  IT.  Hoblxs,  Brockiinier  <feCo., 
glass  inamilacturens  of  WJieelinw  coin- 
menced  the  proflnoti'on  of  jrlass,'  coin- 
posfil  of  saiKl,  liine  and  soda,  aiid  suc- 
ceedod  in  making  ware  equal  in  all  re-' 
ejiects  to  tliat  heretofore  niannfaotured 
with  lead  and  pearl-ash,  and  at  a  cost 
not  exceeding  one-half  the  cost  of  lead 
glasp.  Tliis -revolutionized  the  glass 
business;  tlie  other  manufacturers 
throughout  the  oountry  followed  the 
example,  thus  set  them, 'and  the  result 
has  been  that  the  manufacture  of  lead 
glass  hasbecu  discontinued  ui  this  coun- 
try, and  lime  glass  has'talcen  its  place. 

When  lime  glass  was  first  introduced 
hy  the  "Wheeling  manufacturers,  before 
mentioned,  bi-carbonate  of  soda  was 
used  in  its  composition,  and  on  this  ac- 
count the  glass  thus  made  lias  often 
been  called  bicarbonate  glass.  But 
more  recently  a  Pittsburgh  chemist. 
Dr.  Wutli,  invented  a  process  of  retinin<' 
the  common  carbonate  of  soda  (soda 
ash  of  commerce)  to  a  siiiSpient  purity 
for  this  kind  of  .glass,  and  at  a  cost 
much  less  than  that  of 'bi-carbonate; 
and  the  soda  ash  refined  by  this  ')ro- 
cess  now  bids  fair  to  entirely  supersede 
the  use  of  bi-carbonate.  * 

This  new  method  of  refining  soda- 
ash,  another  step  in  the  progress  of 
glass-making,  was  immeliately  taken 
up  by  Wheeling  manufacturers!^  Messrs. 
J.  ir.  Hol)bs,  Brockunjer  &  Co.  being 
the  lir.-it  to  test,  adopt  and  introduce  it 
here. 

Another  improvement  in  the  n^.anu-  ] 
facture  of  glassware,  another  step  in  { 
tlie  progress  of  the  art,  has  be6n  made 
here  very  recently.  The  same  tinn  be-  j 
fore  mentioned  have  dpinmenced  the| 
manufacture  of  table-ware'  bf.Avhitel 
glass,  technically  called  "porcelain,"  i 
l)ut  differing  from  the  ordinary  porce-  j 
lain  in  the  fact  that  the  composition  is  I 
melted  and  worked  in  a  vitriouB  ,  state,  ! 
is,  in  fact,  glass,  while  it  has  all  the 
beauty,  strength  arid  purity  of  the  finest  I 
and  most  costly  porcelain  or  China! 
ware. 

This  new  article  of  "porcelain"  is  I 
made  with  "kryolith,"  a  niineral,  com-! 
poned  cliieflyof  andfl  and  fluorine,  found  ' 

on    the   ^ye8tern    coast  of   Greenland  f 
where  is  the  only  mine  of  it  known  in  ' 
the  world.  I 

The  applicability  of  krvoHth  to  tlic  i 
inanufacturc   of  glass    wals   first  made    I 

TinV.  V'^  .'''°'''^'  ^J'  '^  ^^''-  Chevnc-v,  ,! 
01  Ihiladelpnia,  and  patents  were  ee-  ' 
cured  bv  him  for  its  use.  I ! 


]  An  attempt  was  made  in  Philadel- 
phia to  manufjxcture  kryolith  porcelain 
mto  popular  forms  for  table  use,  but 
<■  that  attempt  i)roved  a  failure,  the  par- 
«  ties  attempting  it  having  failed  to  over- 
i  come  the  numerous  obstacles  that  pre- 
I  sented  themselves  to  the  new  manufac- 
,   turo. 

'       A    few   months   since   Messrs.  J.  H. 
j   Hobbs,  Brockunier  ct  Co.  having  made 
a  contract  with  the  owners  of  the  pat- 
ents  for  the  exclusive  use  of  krvolith  in 
I  tableware,  commenced  the  manufacture 
I  of  this   porcelain,  which    thev  are  now 
I  offering   to  the  public  in    a  variety   of 
.  i  ncM-  and  beautiful  forms. 
1  j      In  commencing  this  new  manufacture 
of  course  there  were    many  difficulties 
to  be   overcome,    difficulties   that    had 
hitherto  prevented  the  successful  use  of 
the  new    material.       These  difficulties 
have,  one  after  another,    been    success- 
fully vanquished,  and  a  result  has  been 
[  accomplished  exceeding  all  expectation. 
In  this    manufacture    the    progress  of 
glas.s-making  becomes  apparent.      This 
porcelain  is   as    delicate    and    pure  in 
color  as  the  most   expensive   China,    at 
the  same  time  nearly  as  cheap  as  ordi- 
nary glass,  thus  bringing   it  within   the' 
reach  of  those  to  whom  China  ware  is  a 
forbidden   luxury  on  account   of  price. 
From  tins  it  will  be  seen  that  Wheeling 
has  taken  a  leading  part  in   glass  man" 
ufacture,  and  that  the  latest' improve- 
ment in  the  art  was  made  here. 

In  order  to  lead    the  way   in  the  ad- 
j  vance  of  any  art  or  manufacture,  much 
{  energy  as  well  as  considerable  ingenuity 
I  IS  required.     This  is  especially  true  of 
the  glass  manufacture. 
j      The  glass  factories  of  Wheeling  show 
I  undoubted   evidence    that   this    city  is 
likely  to  retain  the  leading  place 'she 
,  has    taken  in   this  manufacture.     The 
factory  we  have    before  mentioned    in 
this  article  is  an  instance  of  this  effort 
at  progress.     Here  can  be  seen,  in  all 
the  departments,  mould    rooms,  mixing 
rooms,    pot   rooms,    cutting  shop,  coal 
bank,  ttc,  and  glass  house  proper,  where 
three  furnaces  are   so   arranged   as  to 
give   every    modern    improvement  and 
convenience,  that   there  is   an  evident 
determination  to  be    behind  no   one  in 
facilities  to  manufacture  gla.ss  well  and 
cheaply. 

All  kinds  of  crystal  glass  arc  made  at 
this  establishment,  table  ware,  bar 
goods,  lamp  goods,  A:c.  Besides  the 
crystal  glass  and  the  j.orcelain,  before 
mentioned,  there  is  also  manufactured 
colored  glass   of  every  required  shade, 


and  nil  e!«|K-ci:il  uttcntioii  linH  Ik-lti  paiii 
to  the   jnuiitiriiftiiri'  of   nnl  niul  frrcrn 
sijriiiil  latiteriui,    lliis   fiKtiir^'   bciii^  tl«c 
only  one  wtst  ol  (ln.<  Al!ev'!«n"'fPto  iimkc 
the  rill  or  ruliv  Lrla-^H.     With  conHHli-ra- 
l>le  oapntify  for  |iro«lnctioii   (l)eiii>»  only 
exceotUd    ill   ^i/.^•,    in    ihi.s  country,  Uy 
two  riu'torieH  in  llu-  Eant)  tliis  e.stablirli- 
FHCnt  lias  for  many  yc'«r«    held  an  im- 
portant and  loiiility;    jihui'   in  the  ghiHH 
I  businc.-'iJ,   and,   as    wf    have    ahown,  \h 
I  still  endeavorinj:  to  advance  the  progress 
'of  f»la88_oiuanuracture    toward    ;:reater 
perfection. 


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